The Red Hope
by kani-leek-lover
Summary: A young girl, sleeping in a small stone house, living happily in a small village, living a simple life without a care in the world. The girl was satisfied with it. After all, she had food, clothes, a home, people who cared about her, and most importantly, she was happy. But to the rest of the world, it just wasn't simply enough.
1. Prologue: The Introduction

_ The Red Hope_

_ Prologue: The Introduction_

* * *

**Hi everybody, its kani-leek-lover! Since I've become extremely obsessed with this manga, and have read plenty of amazing stories, I've decided 'why not write a story?' I'm pretty new to writing for a different manga, so please be nice to me! FYI, this story will follow its own plotline for a bit, then it'll follow the plotline of the manga.**

**Tell me what you think!**

**~kani-leek-lover**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Magi**

* * *

_"Beginnings are always messy." -John Galsworthy_

* * *

Most would say that on that day, the earth was shaking. Others would claim that they saw the sky shatter before their eyes. A few bold people would whisper among themselves that the vast oceans of the world began to churn violently, boiling with uncontained waters.

I, however, beg to differ.

It was like any other normal day. One that contained a blue sky, a breezy wind, and people bustling all over the world, doing their duties, minding their own business.

People that I've met tell me that I'm an amazing person, one who shall do memorable things in my future. Others say that I'm the one who leads, the one who inherits God's will.

Or so I'm told.

To me . . . I'll just be me. A normal, plain girl. One who's far from being the perfect image of a leader, much less an embodiment of glory.

Of course that could all be a lie. I've heard several other versions of this tale, many seeming even crazier than the last.

But I digress.

This story is one that I've created off of my memories, my feelings, my companions and my hardships.

This is my story.

Now it's just up to you to see if the story's crazy or not.


	2. Prologue: The Wish

_ The Red Hope_

_ Prologue: The Wish_

* * *

**And the second part of the prologue is up! Who's up for more?**

**If anything seems unclear, or if you have suggestions or questions, PM me! Reviews are always appreciated!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Magi**

**~kani-leek-lover**

* * *

_"Regret is not a proactive feeling. It is situated in disappointment, sorrow, even remorse. It merely wishes things were different without an act to cause a difference. However, repentance is different. Repentance is an admission of, hatred of, and turning away from sin before God." -Monica Johnson_

* * *

_A man sat upon a throne, clutching an elegant and intricately designed staff in his hand, deep in solemn thought._

_All alone. That thought made him chuckle bitterly._

_The man stood from his throne, and walked out to a nearby balcony. As he approached the balcony he looked out and surveyed the setting._

_Everywhere his eyes settled upon, nothing but death met his sight. The man turned his gaze upwards. A dark black sun greeted him, showering the world devoid of life with sinister black rays._

_The man closed his eyes. It wasn't too long ago, that people were _here and alive_._

_He saw their expressions of joy as he stepped out to greet them. He heard their voices, loud and firm, saluting him as they crowded around the palace happily._

_He saw their faces full of fear, and despair as they watched the sky turn dark, with the ever raging battle continuing all around them. He heard their wails and cries of sorrow as they watched their loved ones be brutally killed._

_He witnessed the end of this world._

"_My King," A voice brought him out of his musings. "They're waiting for you."_

_The man sighed, turning to face the other person. "I know. Let's go."_

_The man gripped his staff tightly in his hand, before following the other man. The other man led guided to the courtyard, which was located directly in the center of the once glorious palace. 72 people were gathered there, all of them anxiously murmuring to themselves, their huge bodies enveloping the entire courtyard with their presence. When the two men walked through, instantly everyone turned their attention towards them._

"_King Solomon!" Everyone shouted. "What should we do now?" Desperation was etched onto their faces._

_The former king stood solemnly and silently before them, his bangs shadowing the look on his face as his household implored him for guidance._

"_The world is dead . . ." One grimaced. "Everyone we knew . . ."_

"_My family, friends, all gone!" Another cried._

"_Without people . . ." A third person murmured. "We can never achieve Alma Torran."_

_King Solomon observed the faces before him, listening to their words before taking a deep breath. "You're all right. The destruction wrecked upon this world has destroyed it. You may have fought bravely, but we weren't able to save everyone . . ." Everyone looked down in grief, keeping their heads low._

"_But that doesn't mean we can't move forward!" King Solomon slammed his staff down on the earth, a loud noise echoing throughout the courtyard. Everyone looked up, his words catching their attention._

"_Throughout these years, each of you have stood alongside me, and dedicated your whole being to fighting for the future we hoped for! And for what? Your family! Your friends! Those you love! Are you telling me that you've forgotten the purpose of why you've fought so hard?" Each of the people began to have a hard glint in their eyes, a new look of determination being created by his words._

"_And while deaths are tragic, that does not mean that it is an eternal goodbye!" His eyes looked at the crowd, a depth of emotion reassuring them. "Their memories, feelings, words, hopes, dreams, and everything about them will continue to forever live in your hearts!" King Solomon raised his staff in the air to prove his point. "We will continue to live! All of you shoulder the wishes of someone dear to you! If that is so, then step forward! There will always be another solution for us!"_

_At his words, there was a cry of approval, their voices the only sign of life in the world surrounded by death._

"_But what are we to do King Solomon?" Someone asked. "If we are to recreate Alma Torran, how can we? There is no life here other than us."_

"_I understand that perfectly," The king replied. "This is why Ugo and I have created a solution." King Solomon waved the other man forward._

"_As you all know," The magi began. "In each of us, we have something known as the Rukh. It is not visible to our eyes, but it exists. It is the bird of life, that each of us all share within us." Murmurs rose once more, but they quickly stopped when he continued._

"_As such, the Rukh relate to the fate of a human . . . and when you 'curse' that fate, you're inner Rukh becomes black. This is what happened to our former comrades." Everyone gasped._

"_But as such," King Solomon spoke again. "Utilizing the Rukh's power, and using magic, Ugo and I were able to create the solution that we need._

"_Simply put, we have created another world," King Solomon stated boldly. "And I will send each of you there to survive." All at once, everyone became frantic, shouting out. Amongst the shouting voices, King Solomon's was the loudest._

"_Quiet!" The voices died down at once. "I know that sounds like a ridiculous idea. All of you must have your doubts and insecurities, but think! By sending you to the world I've created, you will be able to guide the humans there! You will be able to lead them to the dream of a unified world, and give the world the hope it needs!"_

_Everyone watched with wide disbelieving eyes as he continued to speak. "By choosing kings, you will be able to lead the world to greatness. I firmly believe in that!"_

_As if in a trance, one by one, every member of King Solomon's household bowed to him. "We will help accomplish your wish, King Solomon." Each of them spoke in unison, their voices speaking with determination. All of them vowed to protect the world as best they could._

_The king nodded. "Good. I will now send you. Make sure that the disaster that has occurred here will never happen again." With his staff, he brought forth a burst of energy and magoi, white light and white birds fluttering around him._

_Then, one by one, they began to be surrounded by light, and an eight pointed star appeared, glowing above them._

"_May the Rukh guide you all." King Solomon whispered. With a wave, the eight pointed star burst into light, and had transported each of them into the new world._

"_Ugo," King Solomon called. The magi stood at attention. "You know what to do right?"_

_Ugo nodded. "Of course. But Solomon . . . are you sure that this is the right decision?"_

_The king looked into his friend's eyes. He could see the hesitance in them, and tried to reassure him. "I've never been surer. Now go. You'll need to teach him soon." Ugo bowed to him, before he too was engulfed in the light of the eight pointed star._

_King Solomon looked at the world, devoid of life. "Please . . ." He raised his staff. "Even though this world is gone, somehow . . . For that world . . . Keep hope alive!"_

_Far away, the Rukh began to flutter._


	3. Prologue: The Birth

_ The Red Hope_

_ Prologue: The Birth_

* * *

**Hello all! kani-leek-lover here!**

**First off, I'd like to say "I'm not dead!" and sorry for taking such a long time for typing up this chapter; school and other stuff has been really tough on me lately . . . But that's not going to stop me from writing for this story!**

**And introducing the last part of the prologue! After this is the beginning of the actual story! Again, sorry for taking so long . . . Not only was life getting in the way . . . It was a bit difficult writing this in general, because I had to write with different people and their perspectives, but I managed to get this done! Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, favored, and followed this story! You guys are awesome!**

**Also! If there are any other people who are looking for a really good Magi fanfics, I suggest reading **_Starry Skies_ **by Gold Sparrow. It's sorta helped me man up and write this fanfic. It's an amazing story; awesome &amp; mysterious plot (you'll know what I mean if you read it), hilarious characters (I'm not saying~!), and best of all, it's just plain awesome; I highly recommend it. If you guys ever get a chance, go search it up on Fanfic. It's a must-read!**

**Anyways . . .**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Magi**

* * *

"_One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star." –Friedrich Nietzsche_

* * *

Let's take something incredible and unfathomable, and imagine it as something simpler, something easier to comprehend. Why don't we take a coin? Like all coins, there are two sides; heads and tails. If you flip that coin, you get either one; it all depends on the factor of chance.

However, in this case, what the coin represents is completely up to the person holding or using the coin.

It can be to decide a game, and it can be used to simply entertain someone, to just pass the time.

But, that of course, all depends on the user.

* * *

Cries of pain sounded through the medical wing of the hospital. Dim light weakly shone throughout the room, illuminated only by flickering candles and old oil lamps. Bathed in their glow, was a group of women; all of them surrounding one screaming in pain.

"Hold her down!" A voice hissed. "We can't risk 'him' finding out about this." Two women stepped forward, holding the struggling woman's arms down.

"It's too much!" The woman in pain cried out. Her eyes, desperate and pleading, looked at the nurse in front of her. "Please take it out!"

The nurse shook her head. "Keep trying!" She urged. "The baby will come out soon if you do!" The woman giving birth continued to wheeze, groaning in pain as she continued to pour effort into the life she was going to give birth to.

"Push!" Another nurse yelled at the woman. With all of her effort, the woman began to push, while sweat poured down her body. More screams left the woman's mouth as she gave birth.

"I can see the head!" One of the nurses exclaimed. "It's coming!"

"Prepare the water and towels!" One of the two nurses holding the woman down shouted.

"Get ready!" Another cried.

The woman screamed in pain. The lights in the room began to flicker.

And then suddenly, a cry erupted in the room.

* * *

A burst of light shone upon the world, with a new energy.

People everywhere stopped with what they were doing, simply watching the light with awe. The feeling of peacefulness settled as they closed their eyes with bliss.

Then the Rukh began to fly, spreading all over the world.

* * *

In a distant place, the Rukh swarmed around and flew in frenzy. A young boy lifted his head from an old, large book to look at them curiously. Nearby, a giant closed his eyes, admiring the Rukh.

"Hey . . ." The giant opened his eyes and looked down. The boy had temporarily put down his book. He looked at the Rukh with blank eyes. "What's going on?"

The giant smiled. "_That_ Aladdin, would be the birth . . ."

* * *

A young boy stopped in mid run, his feet skidding in the rough sandy dirt. Strange white birds, ones he had never seen before, had rushed past him. As they had flown by, he could feel a strange sense of warmth fill his every being, leaving him with a feeling of unknown happiness.

"Hey! Alibaba! Hurry Up!" A shout interrupted the boys stare at the birds. The boy looked forward to him to see his best friend waving up at street ahead, dark hair blowing in the wind. "You slowpoke, you coming?"

"Hey! I'm not slow!" The young boy protested. He turned around, looking back at the blue sky to see nothing but clouds. The white birds he had seen were already flying away. Then he ran up the street. "I'll show you Kassim!"

His friend grinned, before sticking his tongue out childishly and running away, laughing. The blonde boy laughed as well, following the younger boy. But he looked slightly back behind him, hoping to see the white birds again.

'_I wonder what those birds were . . .'_ The young boy's trail of thought quickly vanished as he caught up towards his friend, and tackled him from behind, both of them tumbling to the dusty ground, laughing freely.

The abundance of white Rukh that shone as it flew past the kingdom of Balbadd went unnoticed.

* * *

An old man was walking through a giant and vast library. Throughout the entire library, people were bustling around: each of them carrying long wands, various piles of books, bundles of scrolls, and notes of detailed diagrams. Light conversation and the flurry of footsteps echoed in the halls, the only noise in the grand library.

The torches and candles that lit the library began to flicker. Then the Rukh flew by the entire library, startling many people and causing them to drop whatever they were carrying. Cries of confusion from the many people disturbed the peace of the library, bewildered people looking up at the Rukh in astonishment.

"What is this?" The old man stopped to inspect the flying Rukh. "The Rukh . . . it's . . ."

"Chancellor Mogamett!" A man pointed at the Rukh. "What's going on? The Rukh . . . It's almost as if-!"

"Yes . . ." The older man turned back to watch the Rukh continue to fly. "I can see it."

The magicians gathered in the library began to murmur to each other. Everyone watched as the chancellor of Magnostadt Academy continued to walk. Two more magicians frantically followed him.

"Chancellor Mogamett," One of the magicians who followed after him asked. "What was that?"

"Is it going to affect us in the future?" The other one asked. Anxiety clouded both of their faces.

The old man simply gripped his staff tighter. "No, I can assure you, that won't harm us . . . That . . . was a phenomenon that even we cannot fathom."

"Phenomenon?" Both magicians were confused.

"Yes . . . It seems that the Rukh was very active due to this occurrence." _'Very similar to the occurrence many years before . . . But not exactly . . .'_

The old man stopped at a wide and open window. He glanced out. The window overlooked the entire academy grounds. All over the entire academy, magicians everywhere were looking up towards the sky, keeping a hold of their pointed hats, pointing towards the direction of where the Rukh flew.

* * *

A young man paused. The sword he was carrying stopped in mid swing, gleaming as the sunlight hit it. The symbol imprinted onto the weapon glowing slightly.

The young man glanced down at the sword in curiosity. "Hmm . . . That's strange . . . My metal vessel is . . ."

Suddenly, a flurry of Rukh rushed past him, causing his long red hair, sand and dust to follow the Rukh as it continued away from the stone coliseum and traveled as a normal breeze.

"What?" The startled young Fanalis glanced at the Rukh in shock. "This is . . . impossible."

He glanced down at the sword in his grasp, the bright symbol still glowing. "Even my metal vessel is responding . . ." He narrowed his eyes and sheathed the sword.

He turned towards two soldiers nearby. "You two!" He called out. Both soldiers stood at attention. "Send a message to the High Priestess at once! Tell her I must speak to her immediately!"

"Sir!" Both of them replied and quickly turned away and headed towards the palace.

The Captain of the Fanalis Corps looked back at the sky to see that Rukh were already heading east.

* * *

Deep in the temple of the Sacredos Maxima, a young girl paused, the grip on the golden staff she carried tightening. All around her, green cocoons began to softly glow, and the ancient body that lay at the center of the room began to writhe slightly, as the Rukh floated above it, hovering around the room.

The girl watched the Rukh with squinting light blue eyes. "This power . . ."

She glanced around the secret room. The Rukh in the room were fluttering, emitting a bright glow full of emotion that the girl could feel, but was unable to completely understand.

She narrowed her eyes. "Power has appeared . . . far in the east . . ." She straightened her posture, stamping her staff firmly in the ground, the gold ornaments of her staff swaying with the motion. But before she could make a solid conclusion, she paused, hearing a noise echoing throughout the hall.

Hurried footsteps echoed through a tunnel that led to the room. "Lady Scheherazade! Lady Scheherazade!"

The High Priestess of Reim turned, facing the people with closed eyes. "Yes, I am here. What is it?"

The two were wearing thick robes, the colors of white, purple held together with a red and gold sash, each of them bearing the green laurel wreath symbolizing their affiliation to the Reim Empire. They each held out their right arms in front of their chests as a sign of respect.

"Lady Scheherazade," One of them started. "We apologize for disturbing you while you are in the temple . . . but this is urgent! Muu Alexius requests an immediate audience with you!"

She instantly perked at hearing this. _'Hmm . . .'_

"And for what reason," She turned away to watch the Rukh as they began to fly away. "Does Muu need my presence for?"

The two looked at each other. "We cannot say . . . We were only ordered to deliver this message to you as soon as possible."

"I see . . ." The girl was in deep thought as she continued to watch the Rukh leave.

"Lady Scheherazade . . ." One of them hesitated. "Is there something wrong?"

There was a deep tense pause. The High Priestess was silent before she glanced towards the body that continued to squirm. "No . . . It's nothing. You don't need to worry about it."

The two of them shared a look that went unnoticed by the girl as she watched the Rukh soar farther and farther away.

* * *

A woman paused in her stroll as the Rukh flew by. With the Rukh disguised as a breeze of wind, the woman could only look up, glaring at the sky hatefully.

'_What is this feeling? . . .'_

"Gyokuen-sama," The woman turned to see two priests approach her. The white veils on their faces hiding the matching troubled expressions they both felt, as they bowed. "This light . . . along with this feeling . . . For it to be so close to here . . . What do you think it could be?"

The woman was silent for a moment, before a sinister smile warped her face.

She began to laugh. "Ah . . . AHAHAHAHA! I suppose that this is the result of King Solomon's arrogance after all! He created this . . . _being_ . . . to destroy our dearest wish!"

"Being?" One of the priests repeated.

"I'm afraid that we do not understand Gyokuen-sama." The other priest said.

The empress lifted a sleeve to her mouth to hide her malevolent smile. "I expected so." She turned away from the two priests towards the direction of the light.

She turned back to look at them. As she did, a trail of black Rukh flew by her, flying towards the south as she simply smiled with dark eyes.

"Well . . . I really shouldn't say 'being'. That's not very accurate. This is more like an '_embodiment'_."

The two priests shared a look. The wicked woman chuckled, raising a hand. "Ah . . . King Solomon is too prideful after all . . . To send another singularity into this world to prevent our success . . . And what should we do about this?"

"Destroy his pride." Both of them chanted. Their staffs held tightly in their grasps. "Destroy his will."

"That's right." Her eyes glittered. The hand that she raised formed into a fist. "And how shall we do that?"

"Sink the world in darkness. Create chaos." A joyful dark smile formed, and the woman beamed.

"Yes . . . even if we have these singularities brought by the arrogant King Solomon," More black Rukh erupted from the woman as she uncurled her hand and simply watched the black Rukh fly."We will stop at nothing to fulfill our goal . . . That is our purpose after all."

She turned back towards the direction of the white Rukh as they traveled her eyes filled with sick happiness and she her lips curled with dark hate. "We will _annihilate_ anything that stands in our way."

The white was quickly chased away by the dark.

* * *

A young boy looked up at the sky from the tree branch he was sitting on. The Rukh flew by him: the white ones flying farther away, towards the east. The black ones flying south.

"Weird," The kid muttered. His red eyes squinted at the bright sky curiously. "The Rukh is acting up . . . I wonder why . . ."

The boy blinked once more at the sky, before shrugging carelessly, a yawn escaping his lips. "Well, I guess it doesn't have anything to do with me . . ." He grabbed a pink peach that hung from a branch above him and munched on it. Using his other free arm, he grabbed a nearby tree branch, and began to play with the peach tree branch, bending it this way and that.

The black haired boy sighed, stretching his arms out. "Ah~, it seems like things are finally going to get interesting here . . ."

"But . . ." The kid look down below him at the extravagant palace, and then towards the direction where the black Rukh was flying from. A dark grin lit up his face, red eyes flashing in uncontained excitement. "I wonder what they'll do about it . . ."

The tree shuddered as the branch snapped, falling towards the ground as peaches and leaves followed suit, splattering on the ground in a mess.

* * *

The Rukh flew by as a gust of wind, causing the candles in a study to flicker. Fingers paused over a yellow and aging scroll, crimson eyes flickering towards two symbols glowing softly before looking up, his face morphing into a look of shock as the visible white Rukh flew by the young teenager.

"What was that?" The teenager muttered, frowning to himself. "That was . . ."

He glanced down to the scroll in his hands, the language of Torran printed clearly, stating a vivid and detailed description of white birds.

"My brother and king," A voice exerted. Another teenager walked towards his elder brother at the center of the study, a black fan held in his right hand held towards his face, while his other free hand rubbed the back of his head while looking uneasy.

"What is it Koumei?" The older teenager continued to examine the old scroll in his hands with deep interest, his crimson

"Did you . . . See what happened?" The second prince of the Kou Empire rubbed his head again.

"Yes," The first prince of Kou finally looked up to meet his younger brother's slightly lighter red eyes, bordering on the shade of pink, meeting with a troubled gaze. "Is there something wrong?"

The second prince was silent for a moment before speaking. "The rats are running amuck."

The first prince paused. "I see," He nodded. "Do you know where they've been recently?"

His younger brother continued to rub his head. "No; our cats have been unable to locate them recently. They've found new hiding places."

The older teenager tilted his head back. "It seems they've gotten smarter . . ." He muttered to himself. He turned back to his brother. "See to it that there are no other rats running around the palace."

The second prince bowed. "Of course." Then he turned, and left the study.

Crimson eyes watched the Rukh through the window. Then he smirked. "It seems things are going to get more interesting from now on."

The candles in the study flickered uncertainly.

* * *

The white Rukh flew over a sailing ship in the sea. Surprised gold eyes looked up from where they were staring at endless blue, long strands of purple hair blowing in the wind as his eyes followed the white birds for a brief moment.

"What . . ." The confused voice of the purple haired teenager spoke, a mixed look of confusion, and awe taking over his features. "The . . . heck was that?"

"Sin!" Someone yelled. The teenager turned his head to see a white haired boy waving his arm across the ship. "We need your help on this!"

"Coming!" The teen shouted back. He turned to go across to where a group of people were handling heavy merchandise.

But not before tossing a frown over his shoulder as he looked back to watch the Rukh one more time.

Unseen by the boy's gold eyes, white lights shined, and the two familiar stars glowed.

* * *

An abundance of white Rukh fluttered around a gentle hand. Light blue eyes watched the Rukh flutter happily.

"_It's here! It's here!"_

A soft smile formed. A chuckled escaped the person's mouth. "It's been awhile since I'd last seen the Rukh like this . . . perhaps around 17 years ago?"

"_Beautiful!" One chimed._

"_Wonderful!" Another praised._

"Yes . . ." The person looked at the sky, listening to the praises of the Rukh's voice. "A divine feeling indeed . . ."

"But . . ." The person frowned, and turned their head towards the direction of the south. Far, far away, he could hear the faint flapping of more wings.

"_Hate."_

"_Destroy."_

"_Disappear."_

The person glanced at the white Rukh, before directing his attention towards the east.

"This is quite interesting," The person smiled again. "For something like this to happen . . . It must be the work of fate itself."

Faces flashed before his mind, before he laughed. "This phenomenal person will be taken to great heights, and will surely meet great people."

"However . . . my only question is . . ." He mused to himself. "How will the world react?"

* * *

"_. . . Of hope."_

"Hope?" The boy tilted his head curiously.

"Yes," The giant replied, smiling at the Rukh. The boy also watched as the Rukh flew around happily.

"But I wonder . . ." The giant narrowed his eyes.

* * *

The nurses were busy. They quickly cleaned the baby, handling it with extreme care, before a nurse took the wrapped and crying bundle over to the exhausted woman.

"Congratulations my Lady," The nurse holding the baby beamed. "The baby is a healthy girl. Surely His Majesty will be pleased and overjoyed at the news!"

"No . . ." The woman muttered.

The nurse carrying the still wailing baby raised an eyebrow. She quickly glanced around the room, to see the other nurses in the same state of confusion as her.

"My Lady . . ." Another nurse tried to reason with her while the nurse still holding the new born attempted to desperately hush the baby. "What are you saying . . . This is _your_ child . . . Surely they will accept it . . . You already have two children . . . And both are already apart of th-"

"No," The woman began to shake her head. "Take the . . . the baby away."

"My Lady . . . Please be reasonable . . ." The nurse managed to quiet the baby down and glanced over to the nervous woman.

"I said," The woman raised her voice. "Take it away."

The nurses in the room were confused. The baby held in the nurse's arms shifted, and a tuft of pink hair peeked out from the blanket. She and opened her eyes, revealing drowsy, rosy pink eyes, the same shade as a rose. The woman flinched when they landed on her. She quickly turned away. The baby gurgled slightly, reaching out a chubby arm towards her mother.

"My Lady . . . the baby seems to want your attention." The nurse holding the baby struggled to keep her grip as the baby continued to lean towards the direction of the woman.

"Didn't I say . . ." The woman's body began to shudder. "To remove that . . . infant away?" The disgust in the lady's voice was obvious now, and the nurses present in the room had to suppress a shiver at the hate in the woman's voice.

The baby began to cry insistently for her mother, and the woman shook her head frantically. "It's not mine . . . It's not mine . . ." The cries only increased as the woman continued to deny the truth in front of her, repeating the same thing over and over again. Panic and fear was evident in her eyes as her eyes flickered back to the _crying_ and very much _alive_ child.

"No . . . NO NO NO!" The woman began to thrash and wail hysterically. The reactions from her mother made the baby cry louder, and the nurses began to panic.

"GET THAT _THING_ AWAY FROM ME!" The woman screeched. "IT'S A MISTAKE!" Two nurses rushed forward to hold down the flailing and screaming woman. The nurse holding the crying baby watched in fright before being ushered out of the room into the adjoining room next door.

The baby continued to scream, crying out for her mother who wouldn't come.

The tired, confused, yet kind eyes looked at the baby with a look of compassion, close to that of pity.

'_The poor helpless baby.'_

"Shh, hush little one," The nurse holding the baby whispered. Soft, gentle fingers brushed away the tears staining the baby's face. "It will be alright."

* * *

"What?" The young boy glanced at him curiously. Then the Rukh fluttered slowly, the glow gentle and soft. The boy's eyes flickered towards the strange behavior of the Rukh before focusing his gaze back on the blue Djinn.

The giant shook his head. "I can't say much to you Aladdin, but . . ." A sad look enveloped his features as he looked at the Rukh.

"It's unfair . . . For a mere child to be burdened with such a wish."

'_Just like . . .'_

* * *

What seemed like hours of the woman ranting and screaming in hate was actually a few mere measly minutes in reality. The rest of the nurses who attended to her walked into the adjoining room where the rest of the nurses were waiting.

"We've managed to calm her down," The head nurse sighed, and raised her hand to cover her face tiredly. "But she's refused to see the baby. She simply won't accept the fact that it's her child." Nervous murmurs formed.

"What should we do . . ." The nurse cradling the now asleep baby looked anxious. "We won't be able to hide this from His Majesty . . . the baby's looks will be obvious enough to know her parentage . . ."

"We can't afford to raise the child ourselves . . ." Another nurse looked at the baby. "We'll be discovered soon enough . . ."

"Our reputation will be at stake . . . Even if we do tell His Majesty." At that statement, the nurses began to look fearfully at the baby nestled peacefully in the nurse's arms.

"_Wait . . . what?'_

"Should we just get rid of it?"

'_Huh? . . .'_

"Well, it's an unwanted child after all."

'_Why is everyone saying this . . .?'_

"That seems to be the best option . . ."

'_I don't understand . . .'_

"We don't seem to have a choice . . ."

'_Why would they?! . . .'_

"Nobody will ever notice."

'_No. This is wrong.'_

The nurse holding the baby gaped in horror at the other nurses. "What are you saying? This is just a defenseless baby!" Her grip on the sleeping infant instinctively tightened protectively.

"Well what do you suggest we do?" One of the older nurses snapped. "Our statuses are in jeopardy. If you had to choose between the baby or your position, what would you choose?"

Hesitance was clear in the nurse's eyes as she looked down at the baby. "I . . . I . . ."

"Exactly!" Another veteran nurse said exasperatedly, spreading her arms out to prove her point. "It's either us, or the baby."

The nurse trembled. "But . . ."

The older nurse that spoke earlier stepped forward, walking in brisk steps towards the nurse clutching the baby close to her.

The older nurse laid her hand on the nurse's forearm. The younger nurse flinched slightly as a chill ran down her back. The older nurse leaned forward and offered her a stiff smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"This is for the best . . . You should understand right?"

The nurse's eyes widened as the older nurse began to reach for the unaware baby. "Sto-"

"_That's enough."_

The slightly tanned arm reaching for the baby froze. Shocked and anxious faces turned towards the entrance of the room, where an old lady in white robes regarded them with cold eyes.

"M-m-my Lady," All of the nurses immediately got on their knees, bowing, and their right hands clasped in the fists of their left hands. "W-what brings you here tonight?"

The old lady sneered. "Don't pretend to act humble to me. I heard what you were planning to do."

The nurses flinched. The older nurse that spoke boldly earlier sunk lower to the ground, groveling. "My Lady, please have mercy! You must understand, we were only trying to-!"

"Get rid of my granddaughter?" The older lady interrupted, raising an eyebrow as her steely eyes grew dark. "Attempt to justify yourselves in _murdering_ a_ newborn_?"

The older nurse flinched, sweat forming as she trembled before the powerful lady.

The old woman surveyed the entire room. She narrowed her eyes. "You should be more wary of your actions. Had I come later, it would've been too late, and I would've reported to His Majesty for you _insolent_ people for killing one of his children and he would've had you all _executed_."

"M-my Lady," The head nurse lifted her head slightly. "I-if it isn't t-too bold to say . . . H-H-His Majesty isn't even a-aware of the fact that th-this is his c-child."

The old woman focused her icy gaze on her. "And my foolish daughter wanted it to be kept that way, had I not found out about her pregnancy." She scoffed slightly.

The head nurse's eyes widened. "D-Did you-?"

"Tell him? No . . ." The old woman sighed. "That is not my intention."

All the nurses relaxed, however, there was still a bit of tension in the room. "T-then why-?"

"That doesn't concern you." The swift reply immediately silenced the head nurse before the old woman turned towards the young nurse holding the baby.

"You!" She snapped. "Come with me! And bring the baby with you." With that, she turned and exited the infirmary.

The young nurse hesitated, before allowing herself to get back up on her feet and follow the noble, feeling the stares of the other nurses behind her.

* * *

"Wish?" The young boy's blue eyes had a faint look of curiosity in them.

"Yes," The giant sighed. "This is the result of a very important person's wish."

"If this wish is hurting somebody . . ." The giant glanced down at the boy who was watching the Rukh warily. "Then why bother to make that wish?"

The giant shook his head. "You misunderstand, Aladdin. This wish was meant to _help_ people, not to harm or hurt anyone."

"Then why would you say-?"

"Because . . ." Sorrow filled his eyes. "Everything comes with a price. An eye for an eye. A life for a life . . . ."

* * *

The nurse had to quickly (and hastily) scramble after the noble lady, the baby held securely in her arms. They soon reached a set of exquisite wooden doors that the old lady sharply pulled open.

"Well?" The old lady snapped impatiently. "Hurry inside! Or we'll be seen!" The nurse flinched, and quickly scurried inside, holding the baby close to her. As soon as she was inside the room, the noble quickly shut the doors, and hurried over to the giant bed. She quickly pushed away the luxurious bed spread, to reveal two plain bags hidden underneath.

She pulled both of them out, and opened one. She picked it up and hurried towards the wooden wardrobe to rapidly throw clothes into the bag. If the nurse looked very carefully, she could see the older woman inspect the clothes in her grasp, before quickly shaking her head to herself and tossing them away. A few moments later, she completely filled the bag. After checking the bag one last time for anything she missed, she nodded to herself in satisfaction; she expertly tied the knot to thoroughly shut the bag.

The nurse fidgeted and continued to awkwardly stand in the room, continuing to hold the baby close to her.

The nurse trembled. "M-my Lady," She began. "I—"

"Oh stop your shivering," The older woman snapped. "I won't kill you." The young nurse flinched.

A drop of unseen sweat rolled down her face. "I-I . . ." The nurse blinked, before straightening her back out, brown eyes hardening in determination, and set firmly on the noble before her. The old lady raised a brow at the change in behavior.

"I swear that I've done nothing to harm the child," The nurse started again, the noticeable shakiness and stuttering gone. "I tried to defend the child as best I could before you intervened."

"Oh?" The noble continued to stare, her eyebrow raised higher in interest. _'I like the look in her eyes.'_

The nurse nodded her head. "Yes."

"I see." The nurse sighed in relief as the old lady turned back to look at the bags.

"My Lady . . ." The nurse hesitated, before blurting out. "Why did you ask for me to follow you?"

There was an unbearable silence, before the noble turned back to the nurse.

"It's none of your concern. Now . . ." The noble woman held out her arms and gestured for the baby. "Please give me my granddaughter."

The nurse's eyes widened. "Wha-? Why?" The arms holding the baby tightened protectively.

"As I said before," The older woman replied calmly. "That doesn't concern you. Now . . ." Her gaze narrowed on the nurse. "My granddaughter if you will."

The nurse bit her lip, looking down at the infant in her arms, unsure of what to do.

The noble watched the internal struggle the nurse was having, and her eyes softened.

"You . . ." The nurse jumped, and tore her gaze from the sleeping baby to the noble who's seemed gentler. "What's your name?"

" . . . Evelyn my Lady." The nurse turned her gaze towards the floor.

"That doesn't sound native. Were you born here?" The old lady inspected her; her brown eyes and hair seemed normal, as well as her tan skin complexion. Everything about her suggested that she was a native to the country. Everything except her name.

"No my Lady," The nurse swallowed nervously. "I come from Reim."

"Hmm," The old lady hummed. "That's interesting. Reim is such a lovely place . . ."

The nurse averted her gaze down to the floor. The noble decided to cut to the chase. "Evelyn . . . You seem to be rather awfully attached to my granddaughter." The nurse blanched.

She immediately bowed. "P-please excuse me! I wasn't aware that this offended you—"

The old lady waved her hand in dismissal. "It doesn't offend me; however, this gives me quite the idea."

The nurse began to sweat. What was she going to do to her?

"Evelyn . . ." The nurse hesitantly looked back up into the thoughtful eyes of the noble.

"I'm going to one of the villages in the south you see. Far from the capital," The noble started. "And I need to bring my new granddaughter with me. So . . ."

Evelyn trembled. _'Here it comes . . .'_

"I'd like you to come with me."

She stopped trembling immediately, eyes wide. _'What?!'_

At the nurse's look of confusion, the noble chuckled. "Unfortunately, my age will prevent me from fully caring for my granddaughter. That's why I'd like for someone with experience to come with me."

Evelyn began to protest. "But surely—"

The old lady held up her hand, which silenced the nurse. "Not only that, I need someone who can keep a secret properly. Unlike those other _fools_ the emperor employs in the infirmary." She snorted.

"And," she continued, her eyes softening at the sleeping baby. "You stood up for my granddaughter when you didn't need to, when you had no obligation to. That makes you more than trust worthy in my eyes." By the end of the explanation, Evelyn had a mixture of disbelief and something amid to wonder in her eyes.

"I will not force you to come with me, that is your choice. Therefore . . ." The noble looked straight into Evelyn's eyes. "What will you do, Evelyn?"

The question seemed to snap Evelyn out of her trance. "I . . ."

* * *

In a blank and endless space, there was a solitary man. He sat in a thoughtful posture as he watched a glowing, thriving white ball. Different forms of people constantly emerged, only to be replaced with a new one. The Rukh swarmed around it in frenzy.

The man watched, and his eyes fell to a particularly bright spot. The light shifted, and formed into a sleeping baby.

The man continued to watch. Then he turned back to the Rukh. _'So it's finally here, huh? I can't say I'm surprised . . ._

'_I only hope that she can grow up normally. But now . . .'_ He watched a slowly darkening spot with narrowed eyes._ 'Even that seems impossible.'_

* * *

Blue eyes stared down at the sleeping boy sadly. The giant's lips moved to complete his previous sentence.

"_A girl for the world. Because after all, why would the world the world sacrifice itself for a single girl?_

"_But it can't be helped. It is his wish after all."_

* * *

That being said, anybody can simply use a coin to decide something that seems deceivingly small, when in reality, it can create a greater impact on somebody's life, or even the world, depending on what the choice is made.

And so, the use of the coin continues, whether it is to settle a game, or to perform stunning tricks, flipping into the air, quietly soaring and landing on a person's palm, deciding with indifference.

* * *

**And done! To the readers who wanted a longer chapter, I hope that this satisfies you! I'm extremely happy that I finished this chapter—it's all thanks to you guys! You have no idea how much your comments mean to me! Look forward to the next chapter, because tensions are going to increase! Hopefully, it won't take me as long to write the next chapter as I did for this one, but I can't be sure.**

**And for those of you who are confused:**

**1) Yes, I chose to use an coin to sort of 'describe' this chapter. You try and describe it! It's harder than it is, which is why I ended the chapter like that (Sorry to anybody who was expecting a better ending)**

**2) The people mentioned earlier that saw the Rukh felt the baby being born (I know. Totally cliché and weird)**

**3) The conversation Kouen and Koumei were having was being spoken in a code. It was so that they would know what each other was saying, but not anybody else would *wink wink, nudge nudge***

**4) Yes, I made the Rukh 'talk' so to speak; Yunan's a magi, so it should be ok**

**5) The baby who was born is an unwanted child by her mother, so her grandmother came to take her away and raise her. Yes, all those bitchy nurses (except for Evelyn of course) attempted to get rid of her; because they were afraid they were going to be punished by the baby's original mother—a high ranking noble. Btw, her grandmother is also a noble-a very important one (more important than the baby's biological mother of course).**

**6) For the thing at the end, I'm not going to give away any spoilers. I know that that last part seemed a little uneven/unfair to all the other comparisons already mentioned, but all I can say is that you'll need to keep that in the back of your heads; it's gonna be important for what's gonna happen later in the story.**

**Anyone who has more questions, suggestions, PM me! And of course, reviews are always appreciated!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**~kani-leek-lover**


	4. Ch 1: The Beginning of a Girl

_ The Red Hope_

_ Chapter 1: The Beginning of a Girl_

* * *

**Hey guys! So, first off, I'd like to thank everybody who reviewed, favored, and followed this story. They are such a huge support to me, and it just really inspires me to write these chapters down. You guys are the best!**

**On another note, I'd like to say to everybody that even though school and life can create such a huge mess when I try to write, I will not abandon this story! So sorry for that really long hiatus. I'll try and make sure that it won't happen again, but I can't make any exact promises.**

**Anyways, continuing on to the story! This is where the actual story starts with our main character! I hope you guys like it just as much as the prologues!**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:** **Magi belongs solely to Shinobu Ohtaka. I only own the oc's that I create.**

* * *

"_I think the girl who is able to earn her own living and pay her own way should be as happy as anybody on earth. The sense of independence and security is very sweet." –Susan B. Anthony_

* * *

If anybody sees a little girl running happily around her house, they would simply smile and chuckle to themselves and say, "Such a cheerful little thing. I hope she stays like that." before continuing on their way. If anybody saw a little girl crying/complaining/wailing over what seems like a simple thing to them, they would simple shake their heads, and say, "What a scene. Her parents really ought to teach her some manners." before scoffing and turning away. It wasn't their child; they didn't need to get themselves needlessly involved. Then again, there would be some people who would pity the young child, go up to them, give them a fake yet bright smile, and attempt to make them feel better.

This is an endless cycle; the girl does something good, people praise her. The girl does something bad, people scorn her. If the girl does nothing? Ignore her.

Yet there would always be that one girl who would always be happy, always be cheerful, and always try her hardest.

No matter what, a girl like that will smile to friend and enemy alike, share the pain between friends and family, and offer that helping hand that someone needs.

Yes, it's interesting how there is always that one girl that never gives up.

* * *

_There was a small green field._

_She could feel just a bit peaceful, as she walked amongst the grass. Bare feet seemed to drift lightly over the soil. She stopped for a moment, looking around her before looking up quietly. She could see a flock of birds fly by, their calls echoing in the field. The sun blinded her vision of the blue, blue sky for a moment. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath._

_Yes, it was peaceful._

_Peaceful enough to pretend that there was nothing wrong, if only for a moment._

"_What a wonderful little paradise I have found." She murmured to herself. The wind blowing by seemed to agree with her._

"_But I think . . . that it would be better . . ." She turned to survey the scene behind her. "If everyone else was still here."_

_Was it just her, or did the sky darken a bit?_

_Once bright shining rosy eyes—the very same eyes filled with _life_—looked at the ruins behind her in despair._

_Broken houses._

_The burnt earth._

_The smell of smoke._

_The hollow emptiness that reflected back at her._

_All of these things were evidence of destruction. Destruction she tried to prevent._

_The girl closed her eyes in an attempt to hold back the tears. She took another deep breath. And another. And another._

_Why was it, despite, its beautiful scenery, that it seemed like the sun was sneering at her? That the sky was _too_ blue? The grass was _too_ rough against her feet?_

_That it was too unbearable for her?_

_She could remember the time where people were_ here living, and thriving_. Children who_ played _and were_ innocent.

_She could see a girl with black hair, eyes the same shade of a rose filled with delight as she ran laughing throughout the town._

_She could almost see them again. It was as if they were actually there. If she could just reach out—!_

_A pale dainty hand reached out into the empty air._

_Her hand felt nothing. Her eyes opened._

_It was almost peaceful._

_The grief that she felt before now came crashing back down her. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed, holding her hand to her mouth, a sick feeling coming to her._

"_Where had it all gone wrong?" She whispered. She closed her eyes again, small body shaking._

_She could hear light footsteps coming to a stop next to her. The person hesitated before speaking. "You know it wasn't your fault, right?"_

_She let out a dry laugh. "Right. Of course it wasn't."_

_But it was._

_The other person sighed, and plopped down next to her. "Really—"_

"_Don't say it." The other person paused, and looked at the girl next to them. Her hand gripped the grass tightly. "Please." The person went quiet._

_The silence in the field seemed to drag on._

"_We still believe in you," The girl stilled for a moment. "We'll follow you until the end, you know."_

_Their words almost made her smile. Almost. " . . . Even if I made a big mistake like this?" The girl waved her hand to gesture at the destruction._

"_We know that you regret not saving them," The person had a faraway look in their eyes. "And we know that you'll miss them all. That's why we're not afraid to move forward with you, because we know how you feel."_

" _. . ."_

"_No matter what happens, we'll stay with you. Every laugh, every tear, every success, every mistake, we'll be there for you."_

_The girl turned away at the person's words, before noticing something. A small fragile flower, hidden amongst all of the destruction._

_The lone survivor._

_The girl reached out to the flower, delicately tracing the petals._

" _. . . Are you sure about that?"_

"_Positive. We'll always be with you."_

" _. . . Thank you."_

_As the girl whispered that one sentence tears fell down her face, and a glowing stream of white birds flew away._

* * *

The sun seemed to stretch its light out lazily among the village, clouds spread over the blue sky here and there. There was this pleasant breeze that passed by a tiny village. Within green lands, stone houses were dotted out, children dozing while the adults went around doing their business quietly.

It was in the stone house farthest from the center of the village, did someone stir.

A beam of sunlight passed through the swishing curtain, to land on a young girl's pale face. The girl groaned a bit, putting her small hand in front of her eyes in a vain attempt to block out the sun's rays. After a moment, the girl sat up from her straw mat. She pushed away the cotton blankets, yawning and trying to blink away any remnants of sleep.

The girl stretched a bit, her arms reaching up towards the ceiling. Unruly black hair stuck out in different directions, and eyes the same shade of a rose opened lazily to do a cursory glance at the room, before looking out the window. The girl's eyes blinked before widening and grinning.

"It's morning!" She quickly stumbled to her feet, doing a strange dance of stumbling over the blankets, and twirling around to avoid crashing into anything. After sprinting to the bathroom and doing a hasty morning routine, she jumped back into her room for a quick change of clothes. She quickly changed into her green robes and pulled on her brown slippers, before dashing out of her room, past the hallway, and into the kitchen.

The smell of food drifted tantalizingly into the air, and the girl couldn't help but grin again as she rushed into the room. "Morning, Auntie!"

A young woman turned around from her place from the stove, green robes swishing with her movement, and she gave the girl a smile. "Good morning, Atsuko-chan. Did you sleep well last night?"

"Mhm!" The girl nodded her head. She kneeled before the small wooden table, sniffing the air. "What's for breakfast today? It smells good."

The woman chuckled, turning back to the food. "Well, earlier I made some porridge. Right now, I'm making us some scallion pancakes, and the tea should almost be done too. How does that sound?"

"Awesome!" Atsuko beamed. "Auntie's food is always the best!"

The woman chuckled again. She picked up the pan she was cooking with and scraped the pancakes onto two porcelain plates. Next, she grabbed a large spoon and scooped up a decent amount of porridge into two empty clay bowls. Finally, she grabbed the whistling tea pot, and poured tea into two chipped tea cups.

"Here you are Atsuko-chan," she smiled. "Go ahead and dig in."

"Yay!" The girl cheered. She clapped her hands together and cried, "Thanks for the food!" before reaching out for her wooden chopsticks, and eating. The woman smiled again, before doing the same.

* * *

Atsuko sighed happily, patting her stomach. "I'm . . . so . . . full!"

The woman giggled, and patted Atsuko on the head. "Maybe next time you should eat a little less," she suggested. "We don't want you to get too chubby."

Atsuko puffed her cheeks out. "I won't get fat!" she declared. "I'll work really hard, and then eat just as much!"

The woman stifled her laughter at her sentence and proceeded to pick up the dirty dishes. As she walked over to the washing bin, she looked out of the windows. _'Hm . . .'_

The woman's eyes softened and she turned to look at Atsuko. "Ne . . . Atsuko-chan?"

Said girl hummed, rose eyes looking up curiously from where she was cleaning the table.

The woman grinned. "Well . . . we need to get more food before the rest spoils . . . so how about we go to the town market today?"

Atsuko's eyes lit up. "Really?!" At the woman's nod of confirmation, she jumped up and cheered. "Let's go then!"

"Wait just a minute Atsuko. We need to fix up your hair first." The woman chuckled as the girl pouted and unconsciously reached up to fiddle with her hair. She grabbed a small wooden comb and sat behind Atsuko to fix her hair.

"Auntie," The girl whined. "Can we go out already?"

"Hush now," The woman scolded. "I'm almost done. Honestly," she sighed. "You can be very impatient at times Atsuko-chan. You need to look your very best no matter what."

"But why?" Atsuko attempted to turn her head to look at her caretaker, only for her hair to be yanked by the comb, causing her to wince.

"People have eyes Atsuko-chan, and everybody sees different things from them." Atsuko pouted and tilted her head in confusion.

"I don't get it!" The woman chuckled, and slid the comb out of the girl's hair. "You will one day." With a soft smile, she put down the comb.

"There! All done!" The woman turned Atsuko's attention to a small cracked mirror sitting nearby. "What do you think, Atsuko-chan?"

"Wah!" The girl's rosy eyes sparkled when they landed on her reflection. The untamed mane of hair was transformed by the comb; her black bangs hanging over her forehead, and curling around her eyes and face. A small pony tail was tied at the back of her head, with the rest of her hair resting at her shoulders.

"I love it!" Atsuko cheered. "Thanks Auntie!"

The woman smiled. "Anytime Atsuko-chan. Now then," She stood up, grabbing a basket in one arm, and holding out the other in invitation to the young girl. "Why don't we head out now?"

"Wait just a minute!" The girl ran to the back of the house quickly. She halted before a clean altar. In front, there was a picture carefully preserved in a picture frame. Atsuko quickly lit one of the incense sticks, and put it in the jar before her. She clasped her hands in front of her, and closed her eyes in prayer. Around the corner, her aunt watched her quietly.

Atsuko opened her eyes and bowed respectively in front of the altar. She smiled. "I'm going with Auntie to the market today. We'll be back soon!"

Atsuko turned away from the altar to where her aunt was. She grinned, and took her aunt's hand. "Let's go!" Atsuko tugged on her aunt's hand firmly, leading the both of them out of the door of their house.

* * *

"The market~!" The girl sang. She was doing a happy little march, singing while swinging the hand holding her aunt's joyfully. "Today~ I will go to the market~ and buy lots of food with Auntie~!"

The woman couldn't help but chuckle at the girl's mood. _'Then again,'_ she mused to herself. _'She's like this all the time . . .'_

The woman looked up to the sun in thought. A breeze rustled her hair and clothes slightly.

Despite the beautiful weather and warmth from the sun, the woman could not help but shiver.

* * *

**Aaaaaaaaannd that's all folks!**

**Now before you guys decide to kill me for leaving this short (sorry) chapter at a cliffhanger, let me explain.**

**Originally, I wanted to have all the things about the main character fitted into this chapter. But when I tried to plan everything else out, it just didn't seem to work. So, I cut it. It is now split into two parts; part one (which was this chapter), and part two (which will be next chapter). Basically, this chapter is just to give you guys some overall background with our main character, and what she's like. Next time, this is where we get a little more description of the town she lives in, as well as a few complications with her peaceful life. That is about as much as I'm going to disclose. I apologize to anybody who was expecting a long chapter and was disappointed.**

**Anyways, how do you guys like Atsuko? Yes, she's the main character, and I tried really hard shape her personality. Brownie points to anyone who can figure out what her name means! As for her aunt . . . Not telling~!**

**If there's anything you guys wanna say/suggest, or you have any questions, go ahead and PM me. And of course, reviews are always appreciated.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**~kani-leek-lover**


	5. Ch 2: In a Village

_ The Red Hope_

_ Chapter Two: In a Village_

* * *

**So . . . .**

**Here's the second part that I promised from last time! Teehee!**

**I'm like seriously amazed at all the positive stuff I've been getting about this story. That really makes me happy!**

**I hope you guys like this part too!**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Magi.**

* * *

"_Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts. That's what little girls are made of." –Bethany Hamilton_

* * *

_A girl with a single flower knelt before a newly made grave, a large stone carved with several names, on top of a small green hill._

_Mikoto._

_Mino._

_Chiyoko._

_Chika._

_Kyou_

_Zuei_

_Zhin_

_Sho._

_Evelyn._

_So many names._

_And they were all gone._

_The girl delicately laid her trembling hand on the stone, the other carefully clutching the flower so that it wouldn't get crushed in her grasp._

_She could feel the sadness bubbling up again. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't._

_She had already cried her tears out long ago._

_Why? Why did they have to leave so soon?_

_Was this some sick way of punishing her? If so, then it was working. The guilt was constantly churning in her stomach as she continued to think of the people who were written in stone. The girl looked up at the sky. Even the scenery was all wrong; shouldn't there have been a rainy sky with dark clouds, as if to share her pain? She blinked, and instead she saw a gorgeous blue sky, white puffy clouds, and a cheerful yellow sun._

_It just wasn't fair._

'_Then again,' the girl mused to herself. 'This world is never fair. To anyone.'_

_She lightly traced the names under her fingertips. She closed her eyes, imagining their faces, _remembering them.

"_Goodbyes are too sad." She said aloud. Her finger lingered on the first name. "You guys are my family. I made that mistake, and because of that, you suffered. For that, I'm sorry."_

_The grass around her swished as the wind blew by._

"_This world may be unfair," Her finger moved over each of the names, until she got to the last name. "But that's why I'm here." Her rosy eyes became filled with determination. "I'm going to change that, so that it won't happen to anyone. So thank you," She laid the flower down before the grave. "For reminding me that tragedies are still here. For giving me the courage to move forward and never forget."_

_The girl's eyes turned stormy. "For giving me hope that this world _can_ be changed."_

_The wind stirred the grass again._

"_I know that it won't be easy," The girl stood up, fists clenched. "But this is what I _want_. If I can help other people . . . If I can stop something like this from happening all over the world . . . If that was my destiny, then I'll do it! So that's why . . ." The hard glint in the girl's eyes softened. "You guys don't need to worry about me anymore."_

_Silence._

"_I'm older now—I was just a bit shaken up with the accident here but," She took a deep breath. "I'll get stronger. Not by myself, but with my friends too. I won't let this happen again. I promise."_

_Never again._

"_That's why everyone," She reached out and touched the stone again. "I'm going to leave now . . . Please wish me luck." Her hand left the stone, and she turned away, slowly walking away a few steps._

_She paused, before turning back to the grave one last time. She gave a sad smile and whispered, "Ittekimasu."_

_She turned away, and this time, she didn't look back._

_Walking down the hill, she saw another figure. They were leaning against a boulder, their eyes closed, feigning relaxation._

_The girl didn't hesitate to approach, only stopping when she reached him._

_There was a long and comfortable silence._

"_Are you done?" They asked._

_The girl nodded. " . . . Did you wait here for me?"_

"_Yeah."_

" _. . . You didn't have to wait for me you know."_

"_I know." They was all that they said. "I wanted to. Didn't I promise?"_

I will never leave you alone. Never.

_The girl understood._

" _. . . Heh. Right. Thanks."_

* * *

_Back at the grave, a white poppy's petals were disturbed by the breeze. One detached itself from the flower, and the breeze carried it up to the sky._

* * *

The market was lively today as well.

All around, people were bustling; whether they were haggling over prices of expensive items, talking with their friends, or even mischievous children darted between the legs of the people around them. Voices of people rose over the other, adding to the lively mood in the air, as sellers shouted to promote their goods.

"The sweetest fruits you can buy!"

"Hand-picked bags of jasmine rice, straight from the fields!"

"Jewelry forged from the capital itself! Intricate gold and silvers!"

This was all that Atsuko could see and hear, as she simply gaped at the sight around her.

"This is so cool, Auntie!" The woman chuckled at Atsuko's amazement. "How come I don't come here more often?"

The woman had to suppress a wince. She gripped Atsuko's hand a little more tightly, and the woman could not be more grateful when Atsuko only looked back at her once in concern.

The woman squeezed the girl's hand softly. _I'm sorry._

Another squeeze was sent back. _It's alright. Don't worry about it._

The messages sent to each other could not be even clearer.

And the woman could feel an instant stab of guilt.

'_I could not have been more grateful that Atsuko-chan is a very understanding girl.'_ She thought. _'But sometimes, she is too smart for her own good.'_

Trying to act bright, the woman attempted to smile. "Well Atsuko-chan, we have a long list of shopping ahead of us. Why don't we get started?"

"Yeah!" The girl at her side recognized her attempt at changing the mood, and she quickly cheered, tugging on her aunt's arm impatiently. "Let's go already!"

'_Really.'_ She sighed inwardly to herself.

"Atsuko-chan," The woman raised an eyebrow at the girl's enthusiasm. "Do you even know what we need to buy today?"

" . . ."

"Atsuko-chan?"

" . . . No."

'_I knew it.'_ "Then you should let me lead the way," the woman suggested. "That way, you won't get lost."

The girl pouted. "I won't get lost!"

"Of course not Atsuko-chan." The woman deadpanned, remembering all the other times the young girl wandered off on her own. She ended up in the strangest situation when she finally found her; a bucket with soap in her hair, holding a kitten.

Yes, exactly like that. She's not exaggerating.

"What's that supposed to mean!"

"Nothing, nothing." The woman placated her as she attempted to hold in her amusement.

"I won't get lost!" Atsuko insisted.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, Atsuko-chan," Her aunt kneeled down to look at the girl with a mock serious face. "You're so short and tiny; I could take just two steps and wonder where you are."

"I'm not _that_ short!" Came the indignant and offended cry.

"You come up to about my knee." An amused smile found its way onto her face.

"I'm four years old! _Four!_" Atsuko waved her arms around in a silly attempt to argue.

"I know." She was starting to have a hard time holding in her laughter.

"_And_ I'll be five next week too!"

"Yes, I know Atsuko-chan." Chuckles started to escape. It won't be long now . . .

"You just wait!" The girl pointed her small and rather pudgy finger at her aunt in determination. "By the time I'm five, I'll be all grown up! I'll be super tall—tall enough to reach for the stuff in the cabinet without a chair! I'll even be taller than you _and_ every grown up here! Just you wait!"

That was it. The woman burst into laughter. She clutched her sides, trying (and failing) not to fall on her back.

The girl stopped her rant, and seemed to realize that she was waving her arms around and foolishly shouting at her aunt at the entrance to the market. A light pink flush of embarrassment coated her cheeks, and she puffed them out in irritation. " . . . You're mean Auntie. You tease me too much."

The woman's laughter was the only response that Atsuko got before she stood up, grabbed Atsuko's hand, and the both of them walked into the frenzy fray of people.

* * *

The woman hummed as she glanced with a pensive look on her face at the fruits and vegetables being displayed and sold at the stand in front of her. She leaned down, and picked up a bright yellow pear, inspecting it. "Hmm . . ."

_Tug._

Maybe she could buy a few . . .

_Tug._

They seemed fresh enough . . .

_Tug._

She could use them to boil into a soup for her and Atsuko-chan to enjoy.

_Tug. Tug._

If she spent her money right, she could get at least a dozen.

_Tug. Tug._

Then again, those tomatoes over there also looked very promising . . . And Atsuko-chan loves tomatoes

_Tug. Tug._

It would also save her the time to pick them from the garden . . .

_Tug. Tug. Tug._

Ah, but the tomatoes in the garden are fresher.

_Tug. Tug. Tug._

Hmm . . . What to do . . .

_Tug. Tug. Tug._

Pears . . . Or tomatoes . . .

_Pinch._

Yelping at the sudden flare of pain, the woman nearly dropped the pear still in her grasp in shock. Putting on a strict face, she turned to the girl standing next to her, who simply blinked her eyes innocently.

"Atsuko-chan." The girl tilter her head at her aunt's stern glare, rosy red meeting stern brown.

"Yes?" She blinked her eyes again.

"Why did you do that?" Her frown deepened as the girl shrugged.

"You wouldn't respond. You were in one of your 'thinking thoughts mood' again. So I pinched you."

" . . ." The woman pinched the bridge of her nose at the girl's nonchalant reply. She took a deep breath. "Atsuko-chan, you know that you shouldn't do that when I'm busy. Or thinking. How many times have I told you that?"

"Once. And you were staring at fruit." The girl didn't hesitate to point that out.

" . . . Alright, fine. What's your question, Atsuko-chan?"

"Could I get something too?" The woman paused, narrowing her eyes at the girl.

"Atsuko-chan . . ."

"Please?" The girl pleaded. "I promise that it's not too expensive. Pretty please, Auntie?"

The woman pursed her lips.

"Atsuko-chan, could you wait until I buy everything first?" She asked after a moment.

Atsuko nodded eagerly, relief reflecting from her rosy eyes. "By the way," She added. "You should get them both. They both taste sweet."

The woman could only blink dumbfounded as she watched the girl walk off to the other side of the stand, inspecting the vegetables with a scrutiny gaze.

* * *

In the end, she decided to follow her niece's advice, buying the pears and the tomatoes, as well as a few other fruits and vegetables. Really, deciding which ones were better, comparing prices, and haggling over them were all such a troublesome situation.

She made sure that they were all put safely into the basket in her arms (not after the nightmare she just went through), and she turned to the girl by her side. "Well Atsuko-chan," The woman smiled. "Now we need to get some bread. Would you like to lead the way?"

"You bet Auntie!" The girl grinned and took off.

Her aunt only sighed as she walked behind her, careful not to lose her in her sights.

* * *

Atsuko stared at the sight of bread and pastries in front of her. She took a deep breath of the air, her nose twitching as it picked up the scent of flour, and sighed happily.

"It always smells so good here~!" Atsuko stretched her arms. Her aunt stepped in behind her, the bell that was attached to the door ringing as it closed shut.

"Well, well, well," A voice called. "If it isn't Atsuko-chan."

The girl perked up from hearing her name. She turned around and grinned. "Mino-san!"

The old man chuckled, coming from the back, wiping his hands on his slightly flour covered apron.

"Hello, Mino-san." The girl's aunt smiled.

"Ah, Evelyn," He nodded to her, his own pleasant smile on his face. "I haven't seen you in a while either. How have you and Atsuko-chan been?"

"We've been just fine, thank you for asking," She answered politely. "We're just here shopping today."

"Ah. Well, in that case," Mino stepped to the counter full of bread. "What can I get for you two today?"

Evelyn turned to her niece, smiling as she gestured to the counter. "Go ahead Atsuko-chan. What would you like?"

The girl hummed in thought, tapping her chin. Then she grinned. "Two loaves of the yummy sweet bread please Mino-san!"

The old man grabbed a paper bag, opening it. "Coming right up!" He went over and opened the counter, carefully grabbing the requested bag and putting it in. He turned to the woman. "Is that all for today?"

Evelyn looked at Atsuko from the corner of her eyes. The girl had walked off to the other side of the counter, face pressed against the glass curiously.

Well, it _was_ almost her birthday after all . . .

"I'll take four of those cream rolls, as well as a dozen of those cookies please Mino-san." Evelyn requested. The baker nodded at her, turning to get another bag to fill with the rest of the items. Atsuko turned towards her aunt, a surprised look in her rosy red eyes as she gaped at her.

"Why so much, Auntie?" Her aunt chuckled, and patted the girl's head, ruffling her black hair slightly.

"It's almost your birthday, isn't it?" The girl blinked at the warm look that her aunt gave her. "We need to celebrate, right Atsuko-chan?"

The girl stood there, shocked for a moment. Then she grinned. "Right!"

"All set!" The old man put the bags on top of the counter. The woman pulled out her purse, preparing to pull out the appropriate amount of money for the food, when the baker held up his hand and shook his head.

"It's almost Atsuko-chan's birthday, right Evelyn?" At the woman's confused nod, he chuckled and lowered his hand. "Then take it, free of charge."

Evelyn's eyes widened. She began to frantically shake her hands. "Oh no, Mino-san! You don't need to do that! I'll pay for it!"

Mino snorted. "Nah, don't bother. I have plenty of other customers other than you two."

"But still, something like this is—" Evelyn protested. The man raised his hand again. The woman fell silent.

"Don't worry about it," The old man said flippantly. "Consider it my birthday present for Atsuko-chan."

The girl in question had wide eyes. "Really Mino-san?"

"Really," The old man smiled and winked at her. "You have a happy birthday, alright Atsuko-chan?"

Atsuko's heart soared. She smiled back at him. "Mm! I will!"

"Mino-san . . ." The woman was speechless. "I don't know how to thank you."

"Well," The old man's eyes twinkled. "You could start by taking the bread."

Evelyn sighed, but did as he asked. She gave him a small smile as she tucked the bread into the basket. "I will repay you for your kindness, some way or another Mino-san."

The old man simply waved it away and chuckled. "You don't need to, Evelyn. Just have fun with your niece today. I heard that there's a good sale at the fish stalls. Better hurry."

"Right then," The woman nodded at him. "We'll be off then. Thank you again for the bread."

"Bye Mino-san!" Atsuko called out, waving her hand at the elder as the two of them turned to the door. "Thanks for the bread!"

The old man just smiled and waved back before the door swung shut, the bell innocently ringing.

* * *

"Fresh fish, from the seas of Sindria!" A lady hollered, beckoning towards the bustling shoppers while gesturing to the fish in her stalls. She then noticed two people approaching her stall hastily.

"Chiyoko-san!" Evelyn waved at the woman as she and Atsuko got closer to the stand.

"Evelyn! Atsuko-chan!" The woman at the fish stalls grinned. "I haven't seen the two of you for a while! Come over here!" When the two arrived, she leaned over and grinned at Atsuko. "And hello to you Atsuko-chan!"

"Hi, Chiyoko-san!" The girl chirped, waving.

"It looks like you've grown again," Chiyoko chuckled to herself. "With the rate you're growing, by the time you're a big girl, I'll be an old and lonely woman."

The girl beamed and turned to her aunt. "See? Even Chiyoko-san knows that I'm gonna be a big girl."

Evelyn giggled and patted her niece's head again. She turned to Chiyoko. "So Chiyoko-san, I heard that there was a sale on fish today?"

"You heard right!" The woman rubbed her hands in mock glee. "Straight from Sindria! Met a captain from Sindria at one of the ports. Had no idea what to do with them. So I offered to buy them from him. Worth every cent I spent." She gestured to the customers inspecting the fish. "Every body's coming and going for some fish. This is my second to last stock."

"I'm glad that business is going well for you then," Evelyn smiled. "To help you with that, could I get half a pound of fish?"

"You bet!" Chiyoko grinned. She gestured to the fish. "Go ahead and choose. When you're done, I'll weigh them up for you." The other woman nodded, and grabbed a bag.

"Atsuko-chan," The girl perked up. "Don't go anywhere, alright?"

The girl pouted. "You know I won't!"

"Don't start with me young lady." She responded dryly, before heading to the opposite end of the stall to grab some fish.

The girl sulked, and looked down at her feet, kicking the ground slightly. Chiyoko watched her a bit, before smiling.

"Ne, Atsuko-chan," The girl looked up at her. "Isn't it going to be your birthday soon?"

The girl's eyes immediately brightened. "Mmhm!"

"Well then," The woman looked around as if she was watching for eavesdroppers, before beckoning the girl. Atsuko leaned up to see the woman rummaging one of her bags, and getting something. The woman turned back to the girl, a mischievous smile on her face.

"Atsuko-chan, close your eyes and hold out your hand." The girl did as she was told, and she felt something metallic and smooth being dropped into her palm.

"Go ahead and open your eyes Atsuko-chan." She did so, and her rosy eyes widened.

Coins.

Chiyoko-san dropped copper coins into her hand.

Her still wide eyes flitted to her unsuspecting aunt, and then back to the grinning woman in front of her.

"Chiyoko-san . . . What's this for?" She couldn't help but ask.

"Well isn't it obvious," The woman tilted her head. "It's for your birthday."

"But . . ." The girl paused at the finger the woman held up.

"Ah, ah, ah!" She wagged her finger in front of the girl's face and pressed it in front of her lips, winking. "No telling!"

Atsuko was dumbfounded. She slowly, quietly pocketed the money given to her. "Thanks Chiyoko-san."

"Don't mention it kid." Chiyoko smiled. "Just don't tell your aunt. She would kill me for that."

And she didn't.

* * *

"Alright then," Evelyn rummaged through her basket. "Bread, check. Fruits, check. Veggies, check. Fish, check. Meat, check. I think that's everything." Satisfied, the woman opened her pouch to check the remaining amount of money. She nodded to herself. There was still a little bit left. Which means . . .

"Atsuko-chan," She turned back to the girl next to her. "If you still want, we can go and see that thing you wanted earlier."

The girl paused. Her rosy eyes had an emotion that she couldn't identify, before she smiled and took her hand. "You know what, Auntie? Can we get it next time?"

"Huh?" Her aunt was confused. "Well—sure but . . . didn't you-?"

"It's fine," Her niece interrupted. "I don't need it right now."

The woman hesitated. "If you say so . . ."

"Auntie?" She looked down at her. " . . . Can we go home now?"

Evelyn's eyes softened. "Of course Atsuko-chan."

And then the two of them turned, walking hand-in-hand, one of them holding a basket full of food, the other holding a bag of extra bread, and a pocket full of coins.

* * *

**There! It's done!**

**I hope that the length of this chapter was a bit more satisfactory for people! To be honest, I wanted to get this chapter done by Friday, so I rushed a bit. I checked the chapter for any mistakes, but if there are any, please excuse my rushed sense of writing and proofreading.**

**And I hope that you guys are happy with this part! I described a little bit more about Atsuko and her aunt (who you guys now know); I tried to write how close they were with each other, how comical they can be, and how close the two of them are with some of the villagers.**

_**(1**__) Ittekimasu-_ **When a person says that, it means "I'll be going for now, but I'll come back because it's my home."**

**Anybody see anything wrong with the chapter, or do they have any questions, or suggestions? If so, go ahead and PM me! I'm always open to ideas. Reviews are always appreciated. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and favored/followed this story! I'm still honestly surprised by all the positive stuff I'm getting from people. Thanks!**

**Thanks for reading guys!**

**~kani-leek-lover**


	6. Ch 3: They Know

_ The Red Hope_

_ Chapter 3: They Know_

* * *

**Hey! It's me! Please don't kill me!**

**Right, so last week I didn't update at all, and for that, I'm very sorry. I needed more time to finish this chapter, which is why I waited for another week before updating.**

**Still not very excusable, really.**

**But anyways, I'm here now with this chapter. For those of you that were disappointed that I didn't update last week, I hope that I can make things up with this chapter.**

**Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Magi.**

* * *

"_There are no secrets that time does not reveal." –Jean Racine_

* * *

_She was floating._

_All around her, there was this seemingly endless sea of emptiness, with this deep depth of black, black, and more black._

_And it was rather depressing._

_It had been like that for a while now. She tried to think back and remember what had happened to her. After a while of painful thinking, she was rewarded._

_Red. Lots of red. That was her first thought. Then a barrage of bright colors assaulted her mind._

(Why did the mere mention of red seem to scare her so badly? What was so _wrong_ with the color _red_?)

_Then she remembered._

(Everything. _Everything_ is wrong with the color red.)

_First, she remembered smelling smoke. It was heavy and thick throughout the air; she could remember seeing sparks of red, and she could remember feeling the heat. Running. She remembered running for a while. She remembered trying to outrun the trails licking at her heels, so so very close. And she remembered calling out her name._

(She remembered feeling desperate; she wanted to know if she was safe or not. She needed to find her.)

_Then she remembered feeling heat. Painful, awful heat._

(And it was _burning_.)

_She remembered that after it caught up to her, she fell down, thrashing around in the ground, shouting out helplessly while the sparks devoured her whole._

(But who would hear her? She was among the many that also got captured by the sparks. No on needed to see if she was alright; they didn't feel obligated to investigate her screams.

No one . . . But perhaps her.)

_She could definitely remember that she whispered her name, and . . . And . . . _And _. . ._

(What had happened? What had happened after that again? She couldn't seem to remember . . .)

_Then, she closed her eyes; finally _finally_, the pain seemed to stop. Then, it felt as if she was leaving behind something, and it felt very . . . very relaxing almost._

_Almost._

_As she let go, she opened her brown eyes to see white._

_Pure, endless white._

(And it was everywhere.)

_Questions filtered through her mind immediately; who? What? Where? And why?_

(Whywhywhywhywhy? _Why_ did it happen? _How_ did it happen? Why _them_? What did they ever _do_? _Why?!_

So many questions, yet so little answers.)

_Her ears registered a low sound, and the questions in her mind stilled briefly. The noise seemed to be coming her way._

'_Huh? What's that noise? It's loud.'_

_She was so so peaceful before. It was (somewhat) calm before. And now that it was quiet, it became loud?_

(Why wouldn't they let her sleep?)

"_It seems like you came too soon." A deep voice sounded out, ringing through the silence, coming from somewhere._

(Who was that?)

"_I was unable to help you and the rest of the people in your home because it would interfere with her mission." The voice continued. "And because of that, all of you lost your lives. For that, I'm sorry."_

(Sorry? The person is . . . Sorry?)

_She was startled; she turned her head, craning her neck until she could see an outline of something. 'No,' she told herself. 'An outline of a giant.' The giant seemed to regard her sadly, regret brimming in his eyes._

"_Whether or not she continues the mission is up to her," The giant continued. "She will have to choose, just like her predecessors." He seemed to have this nostalgic look in his eye. "Don't worry; we won't force her. It may be his wish, but it is still her choice after all."_

(Did he say mission? What was that? What was he talking about? _Who_ was he talking about?)

"_Who-?" She started to ask, but the giant quickly interrupted her before she could finish speaking her questions._

"_She's doing well." Her heart stilled. Was that a smile she could see on the giant's face? "She was very sad . . . But, she's trying her hardest to move on. To move forward . . . It's quite the accomplishment." She could speak. The giant seemed to notice her silence and asked, "Would you like to see? You wanted to see her, right?"_

_Something welled up in her heart; it felt strange, but pleasant. She couldn't help but nurture it. The giant waited patiently for her answer, head tilted slightly. She nodded her head quickly, frantically._

(Yesyesyesyesyes, please! Pleasepleaseplease! Let me see her!)

_Finally, she found her voice. "I want to see her."_

_The giant seemed very pleased with her answer._

_The fluttering sound grew louder; she could see bright and breathtaking white _white_ birds, and they were floating around her gently, surrounding her in a white soft glow, like a halo._

_He closed his eyes, and smiled._

"_Very well then. Follow the Flow. It will take you to where you need to go."_

_And she did just that._

* * *

_She did as the giant told, and followed the white birds. They lead her along a huge, and what seemed endless, trail. She could see bright outlines of people, but their forms varied; some were very faint, while others had a bright and distinguishing aura. She could barely make out the faces of these people, (not unless she looked very carefully at them) but she didn't care; she quickly walked the opposite direction of them, brushing past them gently so that she could go to where she needed to go. The people she moved past didn't seem to mind. In fact, it looked like they didn't even notice her; all around her, the people seemed to converse with others next to them on their path, laughing and smiling as they all walked forward, following the majority of those white birds._

(What were they anyways?)

_The light seemed to get brighter as she walked closer. She continued to walk, her arm reaching out to the birds leading her._

(Closer, closer . . .)

'_Almost there . . . Just a little more . . .'_

_And then, when she finally caught up and reached the birds, the light shone, blinding her._

* * *

_When she opened her eyes, she looked down at herself. Her arms faded in and out of existence as she moved. Her inspection of her body led her to conclude that she was only here to observe, watch, and to not interfere with anything._

'_It only seemed fair,' she decided. 'At least . . . at the very least, the giant gave me a chance to see her, if only for one last time.' At that thought, she quickly squashed the tiny part of her that was bitterly upset and protesting, and she chose to look around, only for her brown gaze to be met with destruction._

_She could feel the wind blowing by, brushing along the burnt ashes of something (she didn't want to think about what) with it._

_She walked along the path of destruction ever so quietly. Her arm reached out to tentatively brush the ash smeared and burnt stone wall still managing to stand beside her._

'_Oh!' Her mind perked up. 'I . . . I remember . . . I remember this path!' Her feet moved by themselves, taking her along to see a bunch of burnt objects and smoky bazaar stands._

_Her body stopped moving all together._

_She didn't like this._

_Her mind seemed to protest at the silence, and she agreed with it; it so . . . it was . . . too _unnatural_, too _quiet_, and too _desolate_. It felt as if . . . As if . . . As if it was missing something._

'_People,' she decided. 'It needed people. And noise.' She added to herself, beginning to walk forward. 'Lots and lots of noise.'_

(But they're all gone. Gonegonegonegonegone.)

_Ignoring that thought, she opted to look around, different memories swirling and flashing around in her mind, creating a catastrophic hurricane. She looked around with, what seemed like, amazement._

'_Yes . . . Yes, I remember.' She looked around again, her head twisting and turning to regard the once lively place. 'This is . . . This was the market!'_

_Her eyes caught something, and she darted over quickly to one of the unrecognizable stands. "This is . . . Was . . . This was . . . Chiyoko-san's fish stand . . ." She glanced down at what was left of the stand; she saw the charred and blackened wood, and she could still see the reminiscent remains of silvery fish scales._

(Was. It's was. Because they're all-)

_Something welled up deep in her heart, and she quickly turned away and moved forward._

_She chose to head north of the market, heading to where more of the town's prominent and standard shops stood. She paused; she turned her head to regard what used to look like a tiny brown store. Hesitantly, she stepped towards it, her hand moving aside the debris._

_Her brown eyes were met with heavy and painful amounts of ash; it cloaked the atmosphere, with the heavy scent of smoke accompanying it. She closed her eyes, thinking of a different setting. Her mind shifted, and formed an image; large wooden shelves filled to the brim with big and small books. Paper, brushes, quills, and shiny bottles of ink filed neatly on the left side of the store. A middle aged woman was in front of the counter, sweeping the floor, humming to herself as she did so. She looked up from what she was doing, and smiled at her; her smile filled with warmth and understanding._

_Warmth._

_Understanding._

_Her eyes shot open._

_Nobody was there._

_She wanted to sob. " . . . Chika-san . . ." Her eyes looked at the ash with sadness and despair. "Her precious store . . ."_

_Next to her, on the ground, she noticed a surviving bit of charred yellowed paper. She kneeled down and attempted to reach out and clasp the piece of paper close to herself, but her hand simply phased through. Her heart squeezed painfully. Helplessly, her emotions got the better of her, and she quickly stood up and ran out._

_Her feet moved quickly as she ran, continuing to move down along the scene of destruction. As she passed by, she saw a small burnt shop, the only part of it still partially intact was a brick wall, with an ash caked bell tied to a burnt wooden post with some metal wire._

_That strange painful feeling came back again. "Even . . . Even Mino-san's bakery . . ." It felt like something was struggling to be let out, trying to claw its way out of her heart, but she couldn't tell what it was. She slowed herself and walked quietly and knelt down in front of the bell. Her hand gently reached down, trembling slightly, as if too afraid to touch the bell. At the last second, she composed herself. Instead, she pulled back her arm, and clasped her hands together, closing her eyes in silence._

(Whywhywhywhywhy?

She didn't have an answer. It seemed like she won't get one for a long time.)

_After a moment, she stood up, and turned away._

_She didn't look back._

(She didn't want to.)

* * *

_Her instincts seemed to take here away from the town. Not exactly so far from what was left per say, but it wasn't close enough to be next to the town either._

_She let her feelings lead her away, and she quickly found herself bored. She decided to look and watch the sky above her quietly._

_It was _blue_. It was _bright_. It was _sunny_._

_It was a beautiful day, yet the sky looked on silently at the destroyed town below it. Stoically. Quietly. Unflinchingly._

(It was too _colorful_. Too _happy_. Too _cheerful_. It shouldn't have been.

It _shouldn't_ have been.)

_She stopped, realizing that she stood in front of a small green hill; the grass on the hill seemed to faze right through her fee as she stood above it. Not a very uncomfortable, but still . . . It still felt strange._

_She looked up at the green green hill. Her feelings urged her to walk up the hill; she hesitated slightly, before she spotted a small trail of the white birds that lead her here. They seemed to beckon her silently, as if telling her to follow them up the hill._

_Mustering up the little courage that she still had left, she took a deep breath to calm herself. And another. And another. And another, until finally, she followed them up._

_Left, right. Left, right. Left, right._

(Green grass. Gray pebbles. Large stones. Silence.)

_Left, right. Left, right. Left, right._

(One foot before the other. Stumble a bit. Catch your balance, then pick yourself up again.)

_Left, right. Left, right. Left, right._

(Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. In, out. In, out. In, out.)

_Left, right. Left, right. Left, right._

(Slowly, carefully. Quickly, quietly.)

_Left, right. Left, right. Left, right._

(Blue, green. Sunny, cheerful. Red, gray. Sadness, grief.)

_Left, right. Left, right. Left, right._

(Keep going. You're almost there.)

_Finally, she was able to reach the top of the hill, her body sagging in relief. She took the time to look up and around to see her surroundings. And what she saw stunned her._

_She saw a girl knelt respectively in front of a stone with carved words over it, her back turned towards her. The girl was holding something—a flower—in one of her hands, the other, clenched tightly into a fist as she sat on her knees, hands in her lap silently._

_At that moment, she understood._

_A grave._

_This was a grave for someone . . . maybe even for multiple people judging by the many carvings. The girl was simply paying her respects to the town's dead._

_She wanted to choke as another burst of overwhelming emotion sprung from her chest at the sight of the girl._

_She was alive. She was _alive_!_

_She was relieved. So so relieved._

(Thank goodness.)

_She watched as the girl put one hand on top of the grave stone. She watched as the girl looked up at the sky with clouded eyes. She bit her lip, gnawing on it; she wanted to run badly towards her, comfort so that the dead look on the girl's face was no longer there._

_She wasn't even able to get a word out, before the girl in front of her began talking._

"_Goodbyes are too sad." She watched quietly as her niece reached forward to trace the names carved with her finger. "You guys were my family. I made that mistake, and because of that, you suffered. For that, I'm sorry."_

'_What?' She flinched. "That . . . That's not true . . ." She protested. The wind blew as she said that; but the girl didn't seem to hear her._

"_This world may be unfair," The girl moved her finger, fingertips brushing each of the names with a tender gentleness and care. "But that's why I'm here."_

'_Huh?' Now she was really confused. Just what was she talking about?_

_She listened as the girl continued to talk. "I'm going to change that, so that it won't happen to anyone. So thank you," She watched as the girl laid the flower down in front of the grave delicately. "For reminding me that tragedies are still here. For giving me the courage to move forward and never forget."_

"_For giving me hope that this world _can_ be changed." As she said this, she watched her back stiffen slightly, and she noticed that she had clenched her fists. She imagined the girl's face right now; stiff, firm, normally warm rosy eyes hard._

_So unlike her usual self._

"_Change . . .?" She whispered. "What are you talking about . . .?" The wind seemed to agree with her as it blew lightly around them._

"_I know that it won't be easy," She watched as her niece stood up. "But this is what I _want_."_

" _. . ." She had a calculating glint in her eyes now._

"_If I can help other people . . . If I can stop something like this from happening all over the world . . . If that was my destiny, then I'll do it!"_

" _. . .!" Her brown eyes widened, awed by the sheer determination and will that she heard in her niece's voice and words. She was literally pouring all of her heart into this._

_She had truly changed._

"_So that's why . . ." The girl unclenched her fists, her voice dropping to a whisper. "You guys don't need to worry about me anymore."_

" _. . ." She was speechless._

'_Not worry about her? It's my _job _to worry about her! It's always been!'_

"_I'm older now—I was just a bit shaken up with the accident here but," She watched her take a deep breath. "I'll get stronger. Not by myself, but with my friends too. I won't let this happen again. I promise."_

'_Oh . . .' she could feel something springing up in her eyes. 'Oh Atsuko-chan . . .'_

"_That's why everyone," Her niece reached out to touch the stone again. "I'm going to leave now . . . Please wish me luck." She watched her hand hesitantly leave the stone, and watched as she turned away._

_While taking a few steps, her niece seemed to pause and contemplate something. Then, she turned around._

"_Ittekimasu." Was the whisper she heard, a sad smile on her pale niece's face._

_Her heart stilled at those words._

_Then, her niece turned back again, and this time, she didn't look back._

(What are you waiting for? Don't stand there! Run after her!)

_At that encouraging thought, she quickly snapped out of the trance she was in, and quickly ran after her niece._

_She ran, and ran, and ran, until finally, she could see her niece talking with another person. Both looked like they were getting ready to leave._

_She was almost there!_

_But her niece and her companion continued to move, oblivious of her attempts to follow them._

_She bit her lip; she only had one chance at this._

_She took a deep breath, and shouted._

"_Atsuko-chan!"_

_Her niece stopped. Her companion paused as well, looking back at Atsuko questioningly._

_As her niece turned to look back, she took the chance to sprint forward, catching up to them. Tears slipped freely down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around the girl in a loose hug. Atsuko's rosy eyes widened as she felt something engulf her._

"_You've truly grown, haven't you, Atsuko-chan?" She murmured. She squeezed her. "Mikoto-sama would've been proud to see you grow so well._

"_Atsuko-chan . . . Really . . . I can't say how proud of you I am." Her hand reached up to fondly stroke Atsuko's now scarlet locks of hair. The girl stood there; she was unable to hear or see her, but she could feel the warmth in her hug._

"_Truly . . ." She tightened her grip even more on the girl, her eyes closing. "I was so so happy being able to raise you! You are both mine and Mikoto-sama's pride and joy!_

"_So thank you . . . Thank you Atsuko-chan!" She began hiccupping. "Thank you for letting me be a part of your life! Thank you for letting me watch you grow! Truly . . . Truly . . . I'm truly glad . . . Thank you Atsuko-chan . . . Thank you . . ."_

_As she said these words, she felt as if she was able to let go of something heavy within her; now she felt . . . very light. Refreshed. It was an indescribable feeling, but she, strangely enough, welcomed it._

_And now she was ready to go._

_The birds surrounded her again; she could feel herself getting lighter and lighter. Her body was becoming more and more transparent, the background of the hill becoming more prominent as she began to fade away._

_Before she could leave completely, she whispered one last word to her niece. "I love you, Atsuko-chan . . ."_

_Her words echoed, and she disappeared._

_Atsuko stood there limply as a large gust of wind blew her hair back, scarlet locks flying. She closed her eyes, savoring and reveling in the warmth that came with it._

"_What's wrong?"_

_She opened her rosy eyes. "It's . . . It's nothing. Don't worry about it." She turned away from the hill, inclining her head._

"_Let's go."_

* * *

_Somewhere, in a desolate and abandoned town full of destruction, the wind blew over the ashes of what remained; small and slightly charred fish scales followed it. Swirling ash was blown off of a once shiny and silver bell. And the wind stirred a charred piece of paper; it flipped itself over, and revealed the inked words written on it briefly, before being taken by the wind._

" _. . . And I had never been more happy . . ."_

* * *

Evelyn was a woman who liked to be neat; she attempted to keep things organized, and have everything planned ahead of time. Being Atsuko-chan's aunt/guardian didn't necessarily have her 'up-to-date' with everything all the time, but she tried (it also helped that Atsuko-chan tried her best to help too). Basically, while she didn't exactly like change, she adapted as best she could, and altered her plan; she enjoyed her routine, and was pleased when things went according to plan (which seemed ironic to her).

For example . . .

When morning came, Evelyn was usually the first to wake; when she did, she would go about her morning routine of visiting the bathroom, then paying her respects to the tiny shrine in the back of the hall.

After doing that, she would head to the kitchen, hurrying to make breakfast for both her and Atsuko-chan as well, while trying to be very careful when doing so, so that she wouldn't wake the sleeping girl. The two of them enjoyed a variety of dishes, and each of their meals varied depending on Evelyn's mood, and what they still had.

While in the middle of making breakfast, she would head to the room that both she and Atsuko-chan shared, to check and see if the girl had woken yet. Most of the time, the girl would wake up on her own. However, there were some of those rare occasions where Atsuko-chan would be dead to the world, and she would have to go and wake up her niece herself.

Then, after Atsuko-chan got ready for the day, and pay her respects to the shrine, the two of them would sit down and eat breakfast. When the two of them finished eating, Evelyn would have to go over a 'To Do' list mentally in her mind, just to see what chores needed to be done. Upon finishing her mental review, Evelyn would round up Atsuko-chan to help her finish all the chores; when finished, Evelyn would help Atsuko-chan with her lessons, giving a few tips here or there, but otherwise leaving Atsuko-chan on her own, while she made lunch. When the two of them were finished they would both eat, and she would let the girl go and play with her friends, using that time to prepare and cook dinner.

When she finished, Evelyn would call Atsuko-chan back inside; the girl would wave to her friends goodbye, while asking to play with them tomorrow. Then, the two of them would eat dinner, with Atsuko-chan chattered about what she and her friends did; the two of them would go and quickly take a bath to clean themselves of the day's dirt. Finally, the two of them would conclude the day by going to their room, and going to sleep.

When morning came, Evelyn would repeat and start the cycle of her routine again.

It was very simple.

And all in all, it was a very busy and time-consuming schedule that kept Evelyn on her toes.

However, today was different; today was a special day.

Today was Atsuko-chan's birthday.

Special events like this demanded change; and to Evelyn, this special day may have messed up her usual routine just a _tiny_ bit. So she adapted her routine slightly.

This morning, she made sure to wake up at least an hour earlier than usual, taking extra care to stay silent so she wouldn't wake the birthday girl.

She sat up from her straw tatami mat, stretching her arms. Afterwards, she looked down at the sleeping girl; said girl was twitching in her sleep, snoring softly as she kicked off her blanket; her black hair was twisted all over her face and splayed out under her head, with a trail of drool trickling down her chin.

Evelyn couldn't help but chuckle; she gently pushed Atsuko-chan back into a proper sleeping position, and tucked her blanket under her chin. The sleeping girl smiled slightly and snuggled under the blanket, enjoying the warmth. Evelyn smiled, patting the girl's head softly, before exiting the room and heating into the tiny bathroom for her morning routine. Afterwards, she quietly got dressed into her green commoner's robes, and walked over to the tiny shrine.

The shrine wasn't an actual shrine; in reality, it was a small wooden table that Evelyn and Atsuko cleaned daily. A small ceramic incense holder stood in front of a small well-polished picture frame; the old woman staring from the picture looked stern and harsh, but somehow at the same, soft and kind as she smiled lightly.

Evelyn carefully grabbed a few incense sticks, and lit them over the tips; she put them gently into the ceramic incense holder, and proceeded to clasp her hands together in front of her face, and close her eyes silently.

She stayed that way for a moment. Then, she opened her mouth to talk in quiet hushed whispers. "Mikoto-sama," She began. "Today is Atsuko-chan's birthday. She will be turning five years old today. I still remember when she turned four," She chuckled a bit. "There was that accident with the cake and mud, and you scolded her." Her smiled dimmed a bit, before brightening again. "Atsuko-chan and I are doing well; Atsuko-chan is especially excelling in her studies. She constantly get bored and pesters me for something new to learn. I'm trying my best to continue tutoring her, like you did, but . . ." She chuckled again. "It seems like I can only do so much. Later, Atsuko-chan will most likely come to talk to you."

She paused for a moment, before talking again. "Please continue to watch over her; I don't know why . . . But," She hesitated a bit before speaking again. "I have a bad feeling." She stopped for a moment.

Evelyn took the time to look out the window, noticing that light was starting to peek through the curtains, signaling the arrival of dawn. She turned back to the picture. "I'm sorry Mikoto-sama, it looks like I've been talking for too long. I must be returning to the kitchen; I'll need to make breakfast for Atsuko-chan and I now. If you'll excuse me." She bowed to the shrine before exiting to the kitchen.

Evelyn quickly grabbed a pot; she poured at least three servings of rice into it, and set to clean it. She added water for it to boil in, and set it aside. She grabbed a batch of vegetables and some sauce she prepared last night; she checked the rice before nodding to herself, and starting a fire to cook.

* * *

Evelyn sighed, wiping some sweat off of her brow, smiling to herself in satisfaction. "There," She wiped her hands on a spare washcloth. "All done."

On the table, she set today's breakfast; it consisted of a plate of vegetable stir-fry, with an accompanying bowl of steaming rice and a cup of juice that she made from some imported apples she bartered from the market's fruit stand the other day. Her stomach grumbled slightly in hunger, and she sighed slightly; she put down the washcloth onto the counter next to the sink.

"Right then," She nodded to herself. "It looks like I'm all set here. Now to go wake up Atsuko-chan." She turned and headed to the bedroom.

She opened the door slightly, poking her head in to see the form of the girl hidden under her blanket; she was curled around it in an attempt to preserve her warmth from the slightly chilly morning.

Evelyn smiled to herself and quickly opened the door; she walked over to the sleeping girl, kneeling down and gently shook her. "Atsuko-chan," She called softly. "It's morning. It's time for you to wake up now." The pile under the blanket grumbled, and stubbornly curled under the blanket even tighter than before.

Evelyn sighed. She tried again. "Atsuko-chan, do you remember what day it is today?"

"Meh . . .?" Atsuko stirred.

"That's right," Evelyn nodded comfortingly. "What day is it, Atsuko-chan?"

"Mm . . ." The girl sat up; while some strands stuck to her face (due to the drool), most of it stood up in a mess. She yawned, one hand covering her mouth, the other stretching in the air lazily.

"Good morning, Atsuko-chan." Evelyn said again, giving her a smile.

"Ugh . . ." The girl continued to stretch. "Morning, Auntie . . ."

"Atsuko-chan, could you answer my question?"

"Mm? Why?" Another yawn was added at the end of the sentence.

"Think really hard Atsuko-chan." Was her answer.

The girl paused, her rosy eyes narrowing in thought. Then, they lit up in recognition.

"Oh!" The girl clapped her hands cheerfully, a smile already breaking out onto her face. "Today's my birthday!"

"That's right," Her aunt laughed as Atsuko launched herself at her for a hug. "Happy birthday, Atsuko-chan."

They both laughed together. As they did, an unnoticed trail of black Rukh flew by.

A silhouette watched them silently before disappearing.

* * *

"Have a fun day, Atsuko-chan!" Her aunt waved.

"I will!" The girl grinned, waving back. "I promise to be careful!"

Evelyn continued to smile and wave, watching the girl until she went inside one of her friend's house. When the girl was out of sight, Evelyn's smile dropped, and she lowered her hand, sighing slightly.

She quickly turned and headed inside, shivering slightly.

'Why was it suddenly so cold?' She wondered. 'And . . .' She raised an arm up to clench itself at her chest. 'What is this awful feeling?'

She shook her head to nobody in particular. Now was not the time to be thinking. She needed to head to the town's market now.

She quickly grabbed the usual straw basket they used for groceries, and grabbed a small wool scarf. She wrapped the scarf around her neck and stepped out of the house, walking along the path that lead to the town.

She didn't seem to notice that in the shadows, something in the air wavered, and split; one went towards the direction where Atsuko went to, the other, silently following the woman.

* * *

"Excuse me." She quickly brushed past the bustling shoppers, offering quick apologies on her way. "Sorry."

She walked north of the bazaar, looking over her shoulder every once and a while; for some reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something wrong . . .

Her anxiety increased, and she quickened her pace, wanting to head to her destination quickly so that she could go back to where Atsuko was.

Her brown eyes seemed relieved as she saw what she was heading for; a small brown shop. She quickly walked up to it, opened the door, and entered. As she did so, the smell of paper and ink entered her nose. She breathed in it pleasantly, relaxing her nerves for just a bit.

"Ah, Evelyn," Evelyn turned to see an old lady look up from reading a book. She had small light reading glasses perched on top of her nose, and her mouth crinkled as she gave her a smile. "Welcome. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Chika-san," She greeted her politely. She looked around. "Yes, it truly has."

"I heard that it's Atsuko-chan's birthday today," Chika took off her glasses.

"It is." Evelyn answered.

"I see," The middle-aged woman paused. "How old is she?"

"She's turned five years old today, Chika-san."

"She's already getting big." She chuckled.

"It's happening too fast for my liking." Evelyn sighed.

"Well, it always happens sometime," Chika supplied helpfully. "It's a parent's duty to watch their child grow, and prepare them for their future in the world."

"Yes . . . That is true," Evelyn smiled and nodded. "I suppose you're right."

Chika smiled. Then, she turned serious. "I know that you didn't come here for a conversation, or parental advice, did you?"

Evelyn sighed. Straight to the point. "No; it's as you say."

"I see . . ." Chika turned and pulled herself off of the stool she was sitting on; she turned and headed to the left of the store, where brushes, paper and bottles of ink sat on their shelves. She kneeled down to the bottom, and selected a rather big bottle. She took it over to the counter, and wrapped it in paper and elastic, handing it to Evelyn; the woman took it silently, slipping it into her basket.

"I can't thank you enough for this Chika-san."

"Please," She waved her hand dismissively. "You don't have to say anything; Mikoto-sama helped me and my family in our time of need; it's only natural that we do the same for you and Atsuko-chan."

Evelyn hesitated. "Still . . ."

"Don't worry about it Evelyn," The middle-aged woman reached out and patted her shoulder. "All you have to do is be there for Atsuko-chan."

Evelyn's eyes became determined. "Of course."

"Right then," Chika smiled. "Just remember . . . Sometimes, you will need to let go over your children and family earlier than expected, whether you're ready to or not. When that time comes, my advice to you is to support Atsuko-chan wholly. She will need someone to turn to, you know."

Evelyn hesitated, before nodding. "I will."

"Good. Do tell her I wish her happy birthday."

"I'll be sure to pass the message along." She promised. Then, she went over to the back. When she came back, she held three books regarding different subjects; one was of poetry, the other of philosophy, and the other was a story book.

Chika noticed the story book, and she chuckled. "_The Adventures of Sinbad_? I never knew that you were interested in books like these."

Evelyn flushed slightly in embarrassment. "It's not like that Chika-san! It's for Atsuko-chan; she's been getting bored again lately. I thought I'd surprise her with a gift."

"How nice of you." She smiled as Evelyn handed her the need money. Evelyn took the three books, and placed them into her basket with care.

"Have a good day, Evelyn." Chika called out, waving.

"You too, Chika-san!" Evelyn said back, smiling. "Next time, I'll bring Atsuko-chan with me. Thank you again, and please take care!" With that, she exited the store.

Evelyn took a deep breath; going to Chika-san's store and talking with her always helped her; Chika-san always knew how she felt, and offered her advice when she was unsure.

Feeling better, Evelyn quickly headed back to the path home, books and the hidden bottle of ink tucked securely into the basket.

A shadow moved discretely before vanishing.

* * *

A priest waved his metal staff; he flew into the air, the veil covering his face flapping wildly. A trail of black Rukh followed him; no one else from the market seemed to notice. As he flew, he got a high view of the town, mainly the view of a stone house where a girl and her guardian were laughing as they ate cookies together.

He waited for only a moment; a second priest soon joined him, coming from behind the shadows of their house. Like the first, black Rukh followed him up to the sky.

" . . . So?" The first priest spoke.

" . . . It is as Gyokuen-sama says." The second confirmed.

"Then? What shall we do?" The first priest gestured to the house down below. "I have been tailing her guardian all day. She bought nothing but books and ink."

"Books . . . and ink?" The second mused. "But no brushes? That would make it a bit harder to write with . . ."

"True . . ." The first nodded. "I thought of it odd myself. But I have my suspicions."

"And your suspicions are true." A woman's voice rang out. The black Rukh fluttered wildly.

"Gyokuen-sama . . ." The two priests turned to the direction of the east.

"The woman does not merely buy ink on a whim," The woman continued. "She must have some sort of purpose for it. The two of you will continue to gather evidence for me. When I deem that it is enough, you two will return and present it to His Majesty."

"Understood." The two priests bowed.

"Now go . . ." The woman raised a clenched hand, sleeve covering her malicious smile. "For the sake of our mission." She removed her hand from her mouth, and unclenched the limb to reveal more black Rukh.

Her eyes darkened as she watched them. "For our Father."

She turned to watch the darkening sky, with the stars beginning to peak out. She chuckled to herself. "Really, that foolish old lady thought she could fool me . . ." Her eyes shone with dark amusement.

"How idiotic; I always, _always_ find out."

* * *

**. . . Yes, I ended it as a cliffhanger.**

**Do not be mad. All will be revealed in due time.**

**Now, for those of you who have your ideas, go ahead and write them down in the review box. I won't say anything until the next chapter, so you're free to think as you wish. Brownie points to whoever can figure it out! ;)**

**A word of warning to everybody: I may or may not be able to update next week! This month will be very busy for me; I currently have multiple quizzes/tests/exams that I must study for, and I must choose the classes I want to take for next year. Next month will also be another test month. This is the busiest time of year during school for me! During this time, I'd like to ask everybody to please bear with me; I will try my best to continue updating, at least once a week, but I will be uncertain as to when.**

**Got any questions? Confusions you want to clear up? Comments? Feedback? If so, please PM me; I'd be happy to clear everything you have in mind up.**

**Please review!**

**Thanks for reading guys!**

**~kani-leek-lover**


	7. Ch 4: In the Shadows, They Hide

_ The Red Hope_

_ Chapter 4: In the Shadows, They Hide_

* * *

**Oh look! It's me! With an update too!**

**First off, I'd like to say sorry for anyone who was expecting me to update; due to the squeezed in exams that my school has been having everyone in my grad take, so I'm rather tight on free time. But, on the bright side, good news guys! I finished part of the exams that I was supposed to take! But don't celebrate yet; I still have a lot more tests to study and prep for -_-" So please be patient with me while this intense studying period happens! I tried to make this chapter just a little bit longer than normal, so hopefully, this should help. For this chapter, it isn't exactly about Atsuko this time, and instead, we're getting a different viewpoint.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favored, and followed this story! You guys are such awesome people! In response to the guest reviews . . .**

**Guest (Alice): Merci beaucoup! J'espère que vous aimez mon histoire!**

**Guest: I understand that you would like me to continue updating to make some explanations, but please be patient! This is one of the busiest times of the school year for me! It's really hard when the all the teachers begin to cram for all of their subjects last minute. As for the OC's, I promise it will pay off; all of these OC's are really important, and will play a huge role for Atsuko's growth in the future! Please bear with me! Other than that, I hope you continue reading and liking this story!**

**Thanks! And enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Magi.**

* * *

"_Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow." –William Shakespeare_

* * *

_Nothing disturbed the group when they laid down to rest._

_Slowly, as the sun set, dark, almost ghostly, versions of things surrounding the camp seemed to have shed their outer personalities, as if trying to adapt to the dark._

_No one moved._

_No one spoked._

_All was quiet._

_It was night right now._

_It was still rather early in the day when the group decided to camp out; sleeping rolls and blankets were set, two people sent to gather food, two to get water, and another two for firewood. It was around, perhaps a few hours before sunset, when they regrouped for dinner. Said dinner really wasn't much; edible berries, a little bit of rabbit and fish—really not much._

_But that was okay—the group was used to traveling and finding limited amount of food and resources (though that wasn't very healthy. Or recommended.)_

_Finally, when everybody seemed somewhat full, and finally settled in comfortably (as comfortable as they could get anyways) around the camp, they decided to call it a night. They made sure to put out the fire, and curled up in their own individual sleeping rolls quietly to sleep._

_This was not normal._

_Most certainly, indefinitely, _not _normal._

_Usually, the normal nights were be different from these ones; after doing everything necessary, all of them would chatter over the fire while eating their meals. They wouldn't talk about anything specific. They just _talked _comfortably between themselves; they would each joke and tell stories and fairy tales to each other (whether they were real or not, whether they sounded ludicrous, ridiculous or actually credible). After each of them would spend all of their energy, they would yawn, wishing each other a good night's rest before promptly falling asleep._

_But this was different._

So so different.

_These last few nights, there was no talking, laughing, joking, or story telling of any kind. These last few nights were spent in solemn silence; all of them were carefully trying to side step around a dangerous and fragile web of cracks that could grow. And each of them were also trying to cope with what recently happened, trying to struggle for an answer of _why _it happened._

_(They had, after all, witnessed a tragedy._

_It was sudden._

_It was brief._

_It was surprising._

_It was _painful _for her.)_

_And even though she was just so so tired . . . _She just couldn't close her eyes!

_She couldn't sleep; for the past few nights, she was constantly on guard, and because of that, she was extremely reckless. Deciding that trying to fall asleep was useless, she wriggled out of her sleeping roll. She stood up and stretched her limbs slightly; she quietly looked back to see the group; there were light snores and soft murmurs, but no one was awake._

_It was peaceful. It was quiet._

_It was also very suffocating._

_She couldn't _stand_ it. She didn't know why, but the group had been awfully quiet, and she suspected that she was the reason why and _she just couldn't stand it_._

_Making her decision, she quietly snuck towards her bag, and rummaged through the contents; she carefully pulled out a brown cloak that was slightly dirtied, along with a yellowed piece of parchment paper that was folded, a leather-bound book, and a small bottle. She quickly fastened the cloak around herself for warmth and looked back once at the sleeping group before quietly walking away from the camp._

* * *

_She walked._

_She was doing nothing but walking for a while now._

_She walked along the bumpy road (not that you could call it such—really, it was only just a path of rocks and dirt. Perhaps it should be called a trail?), being careful not to trip over them in the dark. She stepped past the tree that they had marked earlier, the medium sized moss-covered boulder they took a break on, the rushing river they collected their water from._

_She paid them no heed._

_She ignored them._

_She did however, pause very briefly when a breeze blew by, rustling the leaves, the grass, and her hair. As it did this, she reached up, and ever so gently touched her scarlet locks; she ran one of her hands through them, the limb effortlessly moving through the silky strands. When she reached the ends of her hair, she gripped them tightly, her hand clenching them turning pale. She looked at the grass, then at the leaves, then at the sky._

_For a while, she did nothing but look back and forth at these things. The hand gripping her hair tightened even more._

_Then, a leaf blew by and settled down at the grass below, right by her feet._

_Then she started walking again._

_As she did so, the movement managed to stir the leaf, and it flew, following her._

* * *

_For a long time, she kept walking; she let her feet lead her to wherever they wanted to go. She didn't complain. It felt like she really needed this. So she just went with it._

'_Why bother?' She thought to herself. 'It would probably (hopefully) serve as a good distraction from her own thoughts.'_

_After a while, her feet stopped. She looked around at her surroundings. What she saw made her blink._

_A giant tree._

_It was right before her._

_Her rosy eyes blinked again; they carefully scrutinized the mighty tree before her; small, but bountiful green leaves stuck to the branches they've grown on, or laid comfortably on the ground and drifting lazily in the air from the cool breeze. A large, thick trunk rooted firmly into the earth. Long, supple branches carefully stretching and spreading themselves out from the tree, testing and exploring their boundaries, extending the forest they were planted in._

_Atsuko was not in just the presence of one of the trees in this forest; she was standing before a giant._

_It exerted its years of growth._

_It demanded for attention upon itself._

_It nurtured the other living things in the forest._

_It was beautiful._

_She was in the presence of art sculpted by Mother Nature herself._

_Atsuko quietly stood before the tree, giving it the silent respect it deserves._

_She didn't move. Not even when an owl hooted somewhere. Or when a small critter scurried by her. Or when the chirps of a cricket nearby filled the air again._

_The songs of nature filled the silence._

_The silence the setting offered was broken._

_Oddly enough, she didn't mind._

_But, still she did not move._

_She was focused solely on the giant before her._

_Then, as if in a trance, she took a hesitant step forward; one by one, she walked in tiny careful steps towards the tree, as if it would run if she got closer. Chiding herself for the silly thought, she continued to move forward until she was met with the sight of the tree's trunk before her._

_She looked up again; the trunk that sprouted from the earth seemed to stretch into the air above her endlessly, as if reaching for the sky._

_She reached out and gently touched the bark on the tree; its rough texture and delicate shape wrapped around the tree entirely, as if it was a gentle hug that protected it from outsiders._

_It was standing tall and proud. It was standing defiantly from its place in the earth._

_Atsuko liked that._

'_Challenge accepted.'_

_She tucked that folded piece of yellowed paper inside the journal before putting that and the small bottle inside of her cloak. Then, she tensed, and she grabbed a hold of the tree's bark. Carefully, one step at a time, she managed to get herself off of the ground; she worked her way up the tree, using loose pieces of bark and the nearby branches to her advantage. Every once and a while, she made sure to stop and take a quick rest, just to make sure that she didn't faint before reaching the top._

_Finally, she managed to claw her way out of a tangle of green leaves and wood, only for her rosy eyes to widen._

_Though a couple of hours passed when she started to climb the tree, no more than two perhaps, the sky was still etched in the period of night. Stars were inked throughout the sky, spread out and dotted, but they sparkled brightly relentlessly against the rest of the dark. Looking a bit more closely, she could see the faint connections that each of the stars had—the constellations._

_From this height, she could get a better view of what the true meaning of what 'night' really was._

_The sight of night sky seemed to help her relax; her muscles that she had unconsciously tightened (when did she ever do that? She didn't remember doing that.), loosened ever so slowly. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she breathed in the night air deeply._

_Here, she could feel the satisfaction at climbing the tree by herself humming throughout her body, feel content with just sitting quietly in the tree, looking at the sky, watching the stars._

_She took another deep breath. 'Really,' she thought. 'Quite a leisure.'_

_How wonderful and blissful that sounded._

_She was almost tempted. Almost._

_But, as they say, bliss is ignorance._

_And ignorance it was indeed._

"_The truth really is ugly, isn't it?" She whispered to herself, shivering even though she wasn't cold, and wrapped her cloak around her more tightly._

_There were many things to be done. She had an agenda to follow after all; things to change, sights to see, people to meet._

So so_ much to do, and _so so_ little amount of time needed to accomplish it._

_The weapon strapped to her side warmed for a minute. She paused, opening her eyes. She reached down to her waist, and fingered it. A symbol glowed underneath her finger._

_Her eyes softened, and she sighed._

"_Better get started with this stuff then." She said aloud to herself. Then, she reached down and pulled out the things she grabbed earlier, taking extreme caution not to drop them (that would just be disastrous.)_

_She opened the yellow folded piece of paper, and it crinkled in the air, the crisp sound temporarily breaking the silence. She smoothed it out a bit, before leaning down to place it in her lap and examined it._

_A map was spread out before her; small sketches and words of landmarks and countries looked back at her. She took out the journal from earlier, and briefly flipped through a few of the written pages. The journal was filled with small and detailed notes, each filled with her unique writing pattern. She stopped at the most recent entries at the middle of the journal, pausing to examine the smooth and elegant script quickly._

_Black words leading to paragraphs met her inspection. Her eyes quickly scanned and scrolled down._

"_June 7__h__,_

_Recently arrived at the village of—"_

_She stopped and closed her eyes. She decided to skip that note._

_She flipped to the next page._

"_June 10__th__,_

_We're all settled in right now. Auntie—" She closed her eyes. Then she opened them again, choosing to read a little further down the paragraph._

"_I don't know why, but there is this funny feeling throughout the village. It's like . . . something is surrounding it; it's like it's trying to suffocate the air, trying to taint it. I don't exactly know what this is; I've already talked to the others about this, and they agree that they can feel it. Nobody else in the village can sense it. Tomorrow, we're going to walk around the village's perimeter and area to investigate. If my thoughts are right, then no doubt, they have set their eyes on this village. My only question is, why?_

_Why bother with _this _specific one? Weren't they already done with it when they fished me out? I have no idea if _the others _are involved, but seeing as how this town is part of their territory, and the fact that I was born here, this will most likely be brought to their attention after all; clearly, the witch has a few more tricks going around that wicked mind of hers, and it has something to do with home._

_But that still doesn't answer my question._

_I really hope this village will be able to continue these peaceful times; there are so many nostalgic things that I see every time I simply walk around. It helps me _think_ and _relax_ and just lets me _act like myself again_, if only temporarily_._ But, then again, she never _did _particularly _like _peace._

_Or me._

_She's up to something; this isn't about the grudge she had whenever she saw me walking around freely, or when I would try my best to be acknowledged._

_She's up to something._

_I just _know _it._

_I'm not about to let that happen._

_I won't let her._

_I _can't _let her._

_She's already ruined so many things. But I _can't _and _won't _let her ruin this for them._

_No matter what, they're the ones who deserve to live happily the most."_

_She turned the next few pages, skimming for a bit, until she reached the latest entry._

"_June 15__th__,_

_The village is being watched. I can feel it. Why, I'm honestly not sure, but I have my guesses; most likely, they are waiting for us to make the wrong move. We'll have to be smart about this. We can't afford any mistakes. I'll update again when more information about they're patterns, movements, and goals are gathered._

_But this I know; this is going to be the biggest thing we're going up against so far."_

_She closed her eyes again. When she opened them, her rosy eyes were filled with a mix of different emotions; sadness, anxiety, and determination._

_She gently closed the journal and quietly turned to the map; she began tracing paths and routes with her index finger. Her rosy eyes flickered between various different emblems of different countries, narrowing her eyes only at two before moving on. Then, she reached a labeled sketch of what seemed to be a large ravine._

_She paused._

" _. . . Magnostadt . . . Reim . . . and the Great Rift, huh?" She muttered. Not once did her finger stop moving._

_There was something bright in the corner of her eyes. She turned her head slightly._

_Faint light caught her attention. She looked back at the map, then turned back at the sky to see dawn peeking slightly over the horizon._

_Sunrise was coming in a few hours, if not soon; the soft oranges and purples of dawn and dusk were mixed together, creating a breathtaking scene._

_Her rosy eyes watched it for a moment._

"_Beautiful." She whispered._

This _is was one of the things that she wanted to protect. Such a simple thing like this gave her the strength to continue forward with her mission, to believe that she and her friends were _doing the right thing.

'_But,' she reminded herself. 'As long as they are still out there, no one will be able to see the sunrise again.'_

"_Do not forget," The weapon at her side warmed again, sensing her discomfort. "I will help you. Your wish is my will, my king."_

_She closed her eyes. 'I know.' She held the weapon in her grasp tightly. The bitter thought dispelled itself from her mind. 'Thank you.'_

_For a moment, she stayed like that. Then, she quickly pocketed her things, and carefully began to put one foot down on a branch cautiously, in a way to prepare herself to scale down the tree._

"_Need some help princess?"_

_Her feet and hand stilled as she paused at the voice; it was filled with a snarky and sarcastic attitude, with a somewhat underlying message of 'seriously'?_

" _. . . Not really." She replied. She began going down the tree again. "But thanks for offering."_

"_Are you sure about that?" A yawn followed her question. "You could accidently break a nail."_

"_Haha. Very funny." She deadpanned back at her._

"_I'm serious. Wouldn't want you to fight with a chipped nail, princess."_

"_Pretty sure. Anyways, breaking a nail is highly unlikely."_

"_Always a possibility." The person shrugged._

"_Drop it already," She ordered. "And don't call me that either. I'm not a princess anymore, remember?"_

"_Yeah, yeah, whatever ya say." The person shot back._

_There was another pause as the person watched Atsuko continue climbing down the tree._

"_Why are you out here anyways?" She finally asked, rubbing her still tired eyes._

"_Shouldn't you be back at the camp asleep?" She countered._

"_I was. 'Till I saw you leaving it, doing the exact opposite of everybody else." There was a slight grumble in her voice._

"_Oh." A pause. She seriously needed to work on her stealth skills more. Her skills must have dropped if one of them heard her moving. Usually, she was very quiet. "Then I'm sorry for waking you up. I'll try and be quieter next time."_

"_You can make it up to me by making breakfast." She replied dryly. "You know that I like your cooking."_

"_Then I'll do that when we get back to the camp." She promised._

_After she said this, a long pause settled between them. Atsuko continued to carefully work her way down the tree. The person fidgeted in the air nervously._

"_Atsuko?"_

"_Yes, Freya?"_

"_Well, uh . . . not to be obvious or anything, but . . . well . . . you do realize that you're about a few hundred feet in the air right now?"_

_Atsuko nodded, still focused on her task. "Your point?"_

"_My poi-?!" Freya sputtered. "If you make a wrong move, you'll fall to your death!"_

"_Yup."_

"'_Yup'?! I just pointed out that you could potentially die right now, and all you can say is 'yup'?! You're practically being suicidal right now!" Freya ranted._

"_I'm not suicidal," Atsuko quipped back informatively, completely calm. "I'm just being extremely adventurous right now."_

_Freya sweat dropped. " . . . Why do you sound so casual about this?"_

"_Dunno," She shrugged. "I wasn't trying to be."_

"_Well you do!"_

"_Again, not my intention."_

"_You make it seem like it is!"_

"_Must I keep repeating myself? It. Is. Not. My. Intention."_

_A sigh could be heard. There was another pause. The leaves rustled as Atsuko moved._

"_Ya know . . ."_

"_Yes?"_

"_He'll die of a heart attack if he sees you up here."_

"_Then don't tell him."_

"_And if he already knows?"_

"_Who says that he does?"_

"_Just saying. Ya know, _in theory_. As in, _if_ he _possibly _knew."_

"_Well, we would have a problem then."_

"_Oh? How so? Do enlighten me, princess."_

"_Well . . . First off, he'd blame you for continuing to let me climb down this huge tree."_

" _. . . Ya got me there. But it wouldn't even be my fault!"_

"_Wouldn't matter to him. You know how he is."_

"_Tch. He's such a freakin prick."_

"_He's a rather _helpful _prick."_

"_Hmph. He's still a prick."_

"_Helpful."_

"_Still a bloody prick."_

"_He's also the bloody helpful prick who can drop kick you into enemy territory, make up close to thirty different scenarios and strategies for us, _and _he can still make a damn good stew," She pointed out. "You shouldn't underestimate him; I trust him with my life and more."_

" _. . . Fine."_

_She sighed. "I know that the both of you don't . . . _exactly _get along, but," She pushed her weight against a branch. "Could you try and cooperate from time to time? I mean, I know you guys do it on the battlefield, but while we're travelling, it would be a nice change in scenery if you didn't insult him half the time."_

" _. . ."_

"_Freya? _Please? _Could you do it, _at least_ for me?"_

" _. . . Fine. I'll try. But only for you princess. Only 'cause you're my friend."_

_She smiled. "Thanks Freya."_

"_Tch. Whatever."_

_This time it was a comfortable pause._

" _. . ."_

" _. . ."_

" _. . . Atsuko?"_

"_Yes?"_

"_Well . . ."_

"_Go ahead Freya."_

" _. . . Why are you still trying to _climb_ down the tree?"_

"_Duh," She looked back at the other girl behind her. "To get down of course. How else am I supposed to?"_

"_. . . You could just use your djinn, ya know?"_

"_I know."_

_Freya raised her eyebrow. "And you know that you could just fly yourself down with it if you wanted to?"_

"_Yes." Atsuko continued to wriggle her way down._

"_Or-or-!"_

"_Or?"_

"_Or there's the option that I could just fly you down myself?!" She was starting to get impatient with her, her expression deadpanning at her._

"_I'm perfectly aware of that, thank you very much."_

"_Were you now . . ." One of Freya's eyes twitched in irritation._

"_Yes." Atsuko replied coolly._

"_Then why won't you do it?!" Freya screeched, throwing her hands up in exasperation._

"_Because," Atsuko finally looked up from her task at the female magician floating above her. Her rosy eyes held a mysterious and powerful glint as she smirked. "It's much more fun and satisfying when you do it yourself."_

" _. . . You are just unbelievable! You're younger than me, but you act like you're the one in charge! You have such a huge amount of confidence in yourself; you like to hope that your plans turn out okay, and if you don't, you like to plan on the dot! You're so nice that it hurts, and sometimes I both love it and hate it! And after all this time, I still can't figure you out! . . . But," She sighed in resignation. "I can't argue with that logic." She crossed her arms behind her head._

_Atsuko smiled at her friend. Then, she turned back to look at the sunrise._

"_It's a lovely morning, isn't it?" She whispered._

_Her companion paused, uncrossing her arms to look at the soft look that had formed on Atsuko's face. She turned quietly to look at the horizon._

"_Yeah . . ." She whispered back. " . . . It is."_

* * *

In a hall of deep shades of red, a large banner displaying the emblem of its country was hung proudly on a huge wall, the only witness to the conversation that was being taken place.

Two shadowed figures sat on top of two intricate thrones, seated directly under the banner. A slightly wrinkled and bumpy hand that was beginning to show signs of age tapped itself impatiently on the arm rest.

"Are you sure about that?" A man's voice, deep, scratchy and irritating, demanded. "Are you absolutely _certain_ about that information?"

The third figure was several feet away, on their knees and bowing deeply. "There is not a doubt." The third figure didn't lift their head.

A growl could be heard in the hall. "Preposterous!" He scoffed, eyes beginning to narrow in anger. "What evidence is there, that could possibly even try to _prove_ that bold claim of yours like this?! I'll tell you, none! Absolutely _none_!" He continued to rant, the shadows hiding his slowly reddening face. "There is simply no way—"

"If I may, Your Majesty." A woman's majestic voice interjected, stopping the king's rant immediately. Her voice rose and carried over, as if draping the king with thick sheets of silk, and he slowly relaxed and calmed himself.

"What is it?" The king snapped irritated. "Hurry and speak already."

The second figure shifted on top of her slightly smaller throne that was to the right of the king's. Had the shadows not been in the way, the two men would've been able to see the knowing glint in the woman's eyes. "Perhaps we should not be so quick as to dismiss this. What the priest is saying may be true."

The king continued to protest. "But that very _idea_ is—"

"Unlikely." The woman finished. "But," Her eyes flickered, and she smiled pleasantly. "Have I not proved that these men were trustworthy?" Her eyes blinked towards the direction of the walls. Shadows flickered, and they parted to reveal several silhouettes of priests similar to the one kneeling before them. Each of them wielded a gold staff in their grasp, and white veils hid their faces from view.

The king shifted uncomfortably. "Well—"

"Surely you do not doubt them?" The woman's smile disappeared, and she appeared to look distressed. "There one of the _finest_ assets in the court, one of our most best and trusted advisors. They have been such a . . . _support_ to both the crown and the Empire as well. It would be . . . such a _shame_ if we just . . . dismissed their _loyalty_."

"You are too kind, Empress." All of the priests in the hall spoke in unison, bowing and clasping their staffs in front of them. "We do not deserve those words of praise."

A moment passed. The king sighed. She knew she had won. The queen had to suppress a smirk as she lifted a sleeve to her mouth.

"And," The queen added for good measure. "I have also heard rumors coming from the army as well. Particularly the ones that were posted south from the capital."

This time it was the king's turn to shift in his throne; the only difference was that his movements seemed jerky and uncomfortable. " . . . Go on . . ."

The woman leaned forward, and this time, the king could see a small smile on her pale and youthful face. "Recently, the troops that return south from the capital all pass by a certain village; they all seem to have some rather . . . _interesting_ sightings. They say—" She paused for a moment. Then, her voice dropped to a whisper. "They say that they see a young child. The child has the status of a commoner . . . yet . . . they see the child with the eyes of royalty."

The king's fist trembled. Then, he lifted it up and smashed it into the arm rest of his throne angrily. "I no longer want to hear any part of this-this-_nonsense_," He spat. "That very notion—"

"Your Majesty," A pale and dainty hand laid itself lightly on top of the angry trembling fist. "Please. Compose yourself. It wouldn't be good for your health if you lose your temper."

They could hear a few deep breaths. Then, a consenting set of grumbles were heard.

"Now then . . . Your Majesty, I have an idea that may please you. As well as . . . hopefully solve this situation." The queen proposed.

A pause. Contemplation. Then, a wave of a knobby hand. "Go on."

The queen smiled. "Since this priest is the one to propose to us such . . . _information_ . . . Why not . . . have him investigate to settle this manner? If he goes to the village directly, he will be able to get evidence of the child's existence. When he does that, we can send the Oracle to confirm if the child . . . truly is what the rumors say." The shadows crept back in to cover the woman's face, as if attempting to hide any form of emotion from view.

"I see." There was a leer forming on the king's face. "Well done Gyokuen. This . . . This is truly a rather . . . _well thought_ idea."

"Not at all," The woman raised a sleeve to her mouth again, as if trying to hide the already hidden smile on her face. "I'm pleased that you agree with the idea. I don't deserve such kind words, Your Majesty. I am simply . . . Doing my duty. As Empress of this country. I merely want what is best for the crown, as well as its people."

"Very well then," The Emperor of Kou nodded. "Now you," He pointed an ashen finger at the kneeling priest as he said this. "I am putting you in charge of this matter: find out if all of this _nonsense_ is . . . true or not. I expect a well detailed report."

"Of course, Your Majesty," The priest bowed again. "When I feel as if I have gathered enough evidence, I will return to report directly to you. Until then, I will remain in the village."

The Emperor waved him away with his hand. "Good. Now that you know your duty, you're dismissed."

"Understood. I shall now take my leave, Your Majesties." The priest bowed once more before exiting the throne room.

"Well then," The Emperor lifted himself off of his throne. "I do believe that I myself must retire to my chambers. All of this nonsense has made me a bit tired."

"Please don't overexert yourself, Your Majesty," There appeared to be some concern in the Empress's eyes. "You must think about your health."

"Bah," The Emperor waved it off again. "Surely some of the healers in this palace will be able to heal me. For now, I will be heading off to my chambers for a nap."

"Then in that case," The Empress bowed. The other remaining priests copied her. "Please make sure to get a well rested sleep, Your Majesty."

The Emperor exited the throne room without so much as a glance.

As soon as the Emperor was out of sight, the Empress stood up, a dark glint in her eyes.

"Gyokuen-sama . . ." The woman turned to one of the many priests approaching her. Although she couldn't see his face, she could hear the anxiety in his voice. "Is this really the best course of action to take?"

"Of course," There was a sickeningly sweet smile on her face this time, and the shadows did little to hide it. "If we manage to persuade the Singularity into joining our cause . . . We'll be throwing back all of King Solomon's efforts in his face. Think of it," There was a dreamy expression that took over her face. "Everything that King Solomon invested his hopes into, going for naught! Truly a wonderful idea, isn't it?"

All of the priests saluted her. "As you say, Gyokuen-sama. Truly wonderful."

"Yes," A dark light shone in her eyes. Black Rukh formed, fluttering away towards the direction of the south. "It is our goal. We shall definitely accomplish this." As she said this, she stalked towards the center of the throne room, spreading her arms out in joy as she watched the Black Rukh fly.

Then, she too clasped her fist into her open left palm, her smile _widening_ and eyes simply _beaming_. "All in the name of our Father."

The Black Rukh swarmed the room, and it looked as if the woman was the only dancer in a sea of shadows, with a motionless audience watching her.

* * *

**Well, that's it!**

**I hope that this has satisfied you guys! Next chapter, we're switching back to Atsuko!**

**See any problems? Anything to say? Have any questions? Was there something you didn't like? Any mistakes that I missed? If so, then go ahead and PM me! I'd be happy to answer anything that you guys have on your minds!**

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**Thanks again for reading guys!**

**~kani-leek-lover**


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